The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-01-26
THE LICENSE QUESTION.

EDITOR lNTELLIGENCER On an in
vitation from Sedalia to numerous cities,
Lexington included, to send delegations
of three from each city, to attend a
convention in Sedalia, on January 18th,
to take into consideration needed
changes in laws governing cities of the
3rd class and special charters, changes
in licensing saloons, as proposed by
bills now before the legislature, and
to recommend o the Legislature such
other changes in laws wherein cities
of the 3rd class, or those with special
charters, are interested, and to organize
and cooperate in opposing any laws
that may be introduced, that the
representations in convention deemed
detrimental TO such cities. a conven-
ton was held as above, with a session
in the morning, evening and at night,
first taking up the cities OF 3rd class,
and section by section went through
the 100 sections and made numerous
rec lamentations for changes, and
finally appointed a committee of five
to remain over in Sedalia on Friday
and formulate a bill agreeable to the
action taken by the convention. They
further appointed a committee of two
from each city, to go to Jefferson City
Sunday night and meet there Monday
morning the committee of five first
appointed to assist the committee of
two from each city. The convention
by vote requested the Legislature and
instructed the committee TO work for
a bill that would, in case of a change
of the license laws now governing
saloons, give the city So per cent.
county 10 per cent. and state B per
cent. This is much nearer right than
any bill proposed in the Legislature so
far. some of which mention 20 per
cent. for county, 5 per cent for state
and 25 per cent. for city, less 10 pei
cent. for school fund. Taking ont city
on this basis, let the saloon tax be say
$4,000 it would give this city
less than $3.50 and II revenue would
be considerably less thar one half,
from that source, that it now is, and
would not pay the expenses of the
police court! The expenses attending
THIS our are now sOue S4.OUU. W.
could not make it mp out of a general
revenue fund amounting to $4,000 a
year, over $1,000 of which goes to pay
gas tax. Again, from out of the general
revenue You pay officers salaries, fire
department expenses, stationery, print
ing. etc., and you see at once tina
Lexington would not have one dollar
after paying| expenses attending police
department, if the general fund should
be used, nothing being left to make i'm
prOvements on our streets. Lexington
sent to Jefferson City only one of the
two committeeman appointed by con
vention at Sedalia, Mayor John Wei.
born The license business is a serious
one for Lexington and all cities t
consider who license saloons, and al
should act together and use every in
f~luence with our representatives tC
leave this business as it is, or give al
cities of the third class or cities will
special charters not less than half if NJ
more. | make the broad assertion
that l per cent. of the license Ia,
would pay all expense that u county
is put to by reason of saloons licensed
in Lexington, and that So per cent o
all expense falls on our city; and as j
is here SO is it else y here. Truly,
LIGHT A HEAD.