The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-29
IOWA'S SALOON TRADE
NUE. AND NUMBER OF PLACES
SELLING INTOXICANTS
Liquor MEN WANT A CHANGE

VIII Ask to Have the Law Modified
So That Beer and whisky Can Be
Manufactured In the Stnte-IOwR
City Likely to Feel the Effect of
Proposed Legislation In COnnec-
ton with the State University.
DIES MONIES, To-, Nov. 28.-According
to the first reports from official sources
on the liquor business in Iowa, there are
1880 saloons in this state. They are To-
Gated In forty-elght counties, the other
fifty-one counties enforcing the prohib-
itory law. The total revenue to counties
and cities from Gthese saloons during the
year ending July l, 1899, was $1,120,544. 1t
is estimated that In this state the taxes
and licenses paid by the saloons repre-
sent a fifth Of the business done. On that
basis about $5,600,00O represents the bust
ness done during a year. Or this 60 per
cent. or $3O00.00O, went for the purchase
Of liquors by the saloons.
This fact Is being used by the saloon
men in their campaign for a law which
will permit them to manufacture liquor
in Iowa. The law that is now on the
statute books is unsatisfactory to the
will be made to have such a change eff
fected as will make the business Of brew
ing beer, especially, a desirable and pro-
fitable business in Iowa, which it is not.
The fact that practically the $4,000 600 eX-
pended annually for liquor goes out Of
the state, the saloon men believe, will be
a winning argument to use on the legis-
lators.
The statistics relative to the saloon busi-
ness have been gathered by the auditor
of state for the purpose of compiling the
information in his biennial report He
was led to undertake the work because
of the numerous inquiries he received
from all sources for statistics on the sa-
loon question. There is constant agita-
ton of the matter in this state The sta
titsics relative to the year ending with
July 1, 1899, are the first and only ones
ever collected or compiled
Dubuque county has the greatest num-
Der of saloons, 49, of which the city of
Dubuque has 1877. Only the state tax Of
$500 is collected from them, the cities not
levying any additional license Half the
5000 goes to the county fund and the
other half to the treasury Of the city or
town in which the saloons from which it
is collected are located.
Scott county has III sa 'oOns and Daven-
port has 40 Of these. The city Of Daven-
port collects $40 per annum from each
saloon as a city license in addition to the
state tax. The average city license in
the whole county is SIS.
Dubuque county collected the largest
revenue yearly, $114, 600 Scott county COL
lects $105,716. Clinton county collects $55,-
$50; Des Moines $4S, $50; Lee, $44. 200; Linn,
SAG, 230; Polk, ISL, 100; Pottawattamie, $751;
$50; Wapello, $4,000. and Woodbury., $685.
504
In Johnson county there are thirty-one
saloons and twenty of them are in Iowa
City. Iowa City is the home of the ate
university of Iowa. The liquor question
has always been prominent in relat On to
the college. Many people have refused
to patrOniZe the institution as long as
Iowa City licenses saloons or permits
them to run, and the prohibitionists have
aired the question for the benefit Of the
legislature 10 prevent appropriations for
the college as long as saloons were per-
mitted to run within a stones throw Of
the campus.
In view of this agitation a movement
has been started to apply to the state
university the same rule that has been
applied to the state agricultural college.
That law prohibits saloons from running
within three miles of the college campus
Some of the legislators propose to intro
duce in the assembly this winter bill
which will stop the liquor business within
three miles of the state university cam
pus. If this is done 1t will drive the sa-
looms out of Iowa City altogether, b2causa
the town is built around the college