Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-17
PROHIBITION IN ATLANTA
HIGHER VALUATION MAKES
SENATOR Brown sOUEAL.

He Fails to State that His Property IA
Not Worth Much More than 1t is A.
sessed at However-The Threadba
Cry OF Failure to Prohibit.
WAsHNGTON, April Ex-senator Brown
OF Georgia has been interviewed as to the
effect of prohibition upon taxation in Att
lanta' He is quoted as saying: 'As Iun.
derstand it, the city Of Atlanta has reals
lzed from the liquor licenses and all taxes
connected with the liquor traffic some $50.
OOOper annum. That has not all been cut
OIL yet, as most of the stores and saloons
where liquor is sold have not vet been
closed, and will not be until about the
middle OF the year. But the city faith
ers understand very well that IL ia
10 De cut on during the present summer.
ana IT becomes necessary to Drovide for
the loss, and | am not aware of anv other
means the city has for raising the money
TO meet her current expenses but by using
her credit or collecting the necessary
amount by taxation upon the propertv Of
the city. II the statement which | see in
the newspapers is CORE Ct there has been
an increase OF over % per cent. in tha
valuation OF my real estate in Atlanta
over last year.
UNDER OATH.
ut is said the assessors returned ths
property under oath and therefore did not
over value 1t. The assessors OF last wear
and the preceding years also returned
u under oath, did they undervalue its
NO one viii contend for moment that
there has been % per cent. increase in the
value OF my property during the year or
that there has been 10 per cent. | have
now three store rooms standing idle which
nave been idle for months and | cannot
get tenants at reasonable rental NV
income from rents are considerably less
than they were last year. 1t is said thai
the property is centrally located and will
bear high valuation. but entral prop.
erty can be taxed so high as not to paw q
reasonable income as rental. After de,
| Quoting taXes-State, county, and city,
and paying insurance, repairs, ard COM
tingencies, my real estate will only nnA
NE about as much as non-taxable honda
that are perfectly good would yield me a5
interest.
BONDS LESS TROUBLESOME.
''The bonds are much less trou bIesome.
and are TO be preferred If they approxi
mate the same income. II real estate
does not pay decidedly better than bonds
which are perfectly secure there is no in.
ducements to those who have money "a
invest 1t in the improvement OF real
estate, or 10 aid in building up the CITY.
! ~ @tthhVb W W Tue interest Oh LNe CIV ia
! increase taxation to point which will
drive capital into other Investments. Tho
city must make up by additional taxatiOH
! for the losses she may sustain on the
| liduor trafilc, or she must borrow and in.
crease her debt, and AS her debt is now
about as large as the constitution of tha
state will permit, she cannot adopt tha
latter alternative, and it certainly would
not be wise if she could.
THE GOOD TO RESULT.
"But 1t is said the property holders can
afford to sustain these losses and heavy
Increase OF taxes on account of the great
good tnat Will result from prohibition
II prohibition did really prohibit there
might be some plauslblity in the state,
mont, but every body who has any knowIt
edge of the state OF things in prohibi,
tiOn State knows that any man who has
the money to pay for 1t, and wants
whisky, can get as much ne be desirest
Itis driven out of respectable and OrderlG
houses as well as out Of the dOggeries
into the cellars and hiding places. Those
who want it can easily find it, and those
who have the money car always purch Ase
1t; and, while il is used freely by tlfOss
who desire 1t, 1t ls rele yed of all taxation.
and the tax that 10 would otherwise paw
must be raised by higher assessments OR
property"
SAVANNAH HARBoR MONEY.
Mr.. Norwood will move when Savans
nah harbOr is reached in the river and
harbor bill that the appropriation be IN,
creased from $l25000 10 $4,000. Thia
Will be opposed aud probably defeated bH
the Committee on Rivers and Harbors, the
members of which think shat Savannah
gets all she is entitled TO in the bill as re-.
ported. In the Sepate Messre. Brown
and Coiquitt VIII have the appropriation
increased 70 at least 100000. II would
be very difficult 20 have the entire $3.50, ,0N
estimated as necessary Appropriated, but
II the Senators see chance to get the
iull amount thev will make the eHorE
Tney are disposed TO work hard TO hayd
the amount made as large as possible.