St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-07-06

Superintendent Morrow of the Anti
saloon League Denies the ConcIusiS ms
Drawn by C. H. Davenport of Brattle-
boro.-Drunken ness Increased 80 per
ceut.-The License Law mot a Finan-
ciaI Benefit.
EDITOR CALEDoNIAN:-
The fair showing, of Mr.. c. 3. Daven-
port from Brattleboro, as reported in
the Burlington Daily News of June 4th.
is open to criticism to say the least.
The inventory at the balancing of the
books for the first year OF license in Yer
mont may be satisfactory to our license
friends for they have been getting ''sun-
beams out of cucumbers' throughout
the year, but the real results of the law
are not specially commendable to the
friends of sobriety and good order,
neither to the taxpayers of the state.
The records show an increase of at
least 80 per cent of drunkenness in the
state and the general public knows full
well that not more than one "drunk" in
five is arrested by the police officers.
Various licenses of the state, five at
Bratt1eboro, one at Manchester, two at
Burlington, etc have been revoked for
violation OF the conditions of the licenses,
chiefly for selling to minors.
Superintendent Morgan of the House
OF Correction says in his annual report
that commitments to the House of
Correction the past year are just about
double the number of either of the two
4
Mr.. Davenport lays great stress upon
the number of government licenses held
in the state under prohibition as COM
pared with the number this year under
license. He speaks especially of Burling-
ton. He selects year for Burlington
when Burlington was at her worst and
not year when there was fair attempt
to enforce the law. Such year was 1902
when there were Is whiskey govern
ment licences, one of which was the
agency. and 9 malt liquor licenses. "a in
all. (Mr. Davenport says co.,
The malt liquor licenses have never
been, in Vermont, a fair criterion for judg-
ment. for many dealers holding them
were selling liquids within the state law.
Take the hard liquor licenses in the year
of enforced prohibition there were in YER
mont, exclusive of the agencies, less than
15S as against 25S under license in the
past year.
Mr.. Davenport says there were govern
ment licenses held this year in only rs
towns; there were, in fact. licenses held
in 80 towns. He says there were only
3O6 government licenses held in the
state this year. The fact is there were
314, already on the records March 22nd,
more than three months before the end
of the fiscal year. He says there were 73
illegal government licenses held. The
records show there were 81 in March.
He says only IL, besides the YES towns,
contain liquor sellers; the Government re-
cords show Fl.
Mr.. Davenport says the number oil
United States special taxes paid is al
ways a close approximation to the
number of sellers, because "few will risk
Uncle Sans severe penalties" This looks
well on the surface, but the state liquor
States special tax evidence Of guilt with
penalty of $500 fine, while the govern.
ment has no penalty if a seller pays uI
when caught. He simply pays the $2e
and no penalty attached. That is, hs
pays no more when compelled to pay
on his own motion. One of the deputy
collectors of the govt rnment told m,
personally some years ago that his bust
ness was Ito get revenue" and If a maj
paid the tax when caught. that settlet
it. II he refused pay ment of course pros
ecution would follow.
l submit the Portsmouth records il
verification of this matter. On Octobe
Goth last, the records show a govern
ment license, paid, simply $25 and tn
license dated back to July lst. Januar,
26th a license was paid $22 90. an.
dated back to August 1st. January q
was the date the party stood stat
trial, and business marked discontinued
the same date. Another party wa
caught by the authorities November At
duu Was dbOWcu 10 pay us 9<O an'
date his business from July 1st. Wit
this generous treatment by the govern
ment the seller runs the greater risk t,
go on to the records before being foun'
out. by so much as $500, the state fine
is greater than S25 the government
license. Hence they are doing bushes