The record-union., 1891-06-05
THE COLUMN MOVES FORWARD
AT LAST,

IL
The Board of Supervisors has at last
taken action, and that without dissent
ing vote, in the matter of effective regu-
lation of the liquor traffic. For this the
board is entitled to all commentator,
and the people should let the members of
that legislative body see that their labors
are thankfully appreciated.
The board realized on Wednesday that
Sacramento County in all things relating
to the saloon interest is away behind all
the rest of the world, save only in the
number of bars, and that in this respect
1t eclipses any place on the face of the
globe. 1t realized that Sacramento
County has been deriving less revenue
from the business than any other county
in the State of California; that it has had
no regulation whatever; that proportion
ately all other licensed businesses are
taxed a higher rate than are the liquor
bars. They saw that one of two things
must be true, that the saloons are taxed
too little or all other businesses too much.
But other businesses are not asking any
reduction. They are not therefore taxed
too much. 1t follows that the saloons do
not pay their due share of the burdens of
Government, to the creation of which
they contribute so much.
With the rate $50 a month in Los
Angeles, S75 in San Diego, $50 in several
other places, 500 in Sutter County, and a
nearly as high rate in Tehama, the
Supervisors put the question to them
selves that the RECORD UNION has so
often asked, what reason is there for
the fact that the liquor license rate in
Sacramento is lower than that of any
other place in the United States, and that
we have no regulation ?" The farmers
had appealed strongly to the board and
besought it TO relieve them in some way
from the burden of too many way-side
bars. AT the same time the people of the
city of Sacramento were petit1oning their
legislative council, the Trustees, to so en-
receive greater revenue from the license
for the liquor traffic; to so legislate as to
lessen the number of saloons, per
emptorily shut up the dives and low
groggeries, and to enforce regulation in all
other cases.
The Trustees, however, have been deaf
TO these appeals, except in one instance.
Through the energy and decision of
Trustee Mclaughlin, the board put upon
the statute-book a midnight-closing ordi-
nance for all bars. The RECoRD-UNIoN
has feared that the effect would be to OBJ
scure the greater need but it is free to say
that so far as the closing ordinance,
sweeping as it is, does any good it is to
be commended, for it is moving in the
right direction. The motive of the au-
thor of the measure, or his sincerity, is
not questioned. Though we held his or
dinance to be too general to be Just, in a
strict sense, we recognize Trustee Nc
Laughlin's measure as responsive, in a
degree, to the demand for better reeula-
ton. The thing for the Board of City
Trustees to do now is to follow up the
work of the Supervisors, and not permit
the county alone TO reap the economic
benefits of wise action. We entertain the
hope that this plea, which is the voice of
seven-tenths of the people of the City OF
Sacramento, will now be granted.
The Supervisors unanimously adopted
ordinance is not high license. Ten dol
lars month is low license-very low, in
deed, compared with that levied in most
other progressive communities. In fact
it is among the lowest in the statistical
schedule. But the author of the ordinance
Mr.. Greer, who is entitled to recognition
for his courage, and his prompt re,
sponse to the demands of his constituents
has incorporated with the ordinance an
elaborate statement of the reasons for its
adoption. These constitute terrible ar.
raignment of the liquor traffic, and ot
over-indulgence in intoxicants. While
this was hardly necessary, it is forcible
indictment, and sets out the necessity
which the Supervisors feel for the regula-
tive features of the ordinance for the bene-
fit of any who might plead ignorance ot
the facts and doubt the wisdom of the
board. This regulation is the admirable
feature of the new law. 1t puts Sacra.
mento almost abreast, in the matter O.
stringent regulation, with such cities a.
Philadelphia, Chicago, Rockford an6
many other Eastern communities: ane
with the cities of Southern California tina
have demonstrated the wisdom of similar
measures.
The ordinance requires that a ma