Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-23

two and her population has not In
creased In any such proportion. When
the various breweries had each acquire
ed their two or three stands Mason
City would have had at least fifteen
saloons upon the Marshalltown ratio.
Had Mason City determined to have
saloons we had intended to tip off this
advice. Make the license about ten
times as high as anyone thinks 1t ought
to be. The little town of Ogden at one
time charged $2,100 a year license; this
in town of less than 1900 people, and
the universally expressed opinion
there was that as a real temperance
measure it was successful. The town
of Galva, a short time ago received bids
for an exclusive right to run a saloon
in that little town Of less than 500 peo-
pie, and one man secured the right by
his own bid Of s3,100 a year.
1t has been argued that no more
liquor would be sold from twenty two
saloons than from three If the three
had to nav the same amount OF license
money to the city as the twenty-five.
But this is poor reasoning. If a ship
per comes to town with q car load OF
watermelons next fall and sets twenty
two grocerymen to selling them, no one
will dispute that more melons will be
sold every day than IL this car load
should be sold from one store. The
sight of the melons suggests the enjoy
ment Of eating them. hence more ana
larger sales
So it is with the saloon business.
In Marshalltown we have two or three
on Center street, two or three on First
avenue. one at the west end Of Main
street. several at the east end. and
a few in the center. Then we have
one for the Pilgrim hotel and one IN
front Of the Stoddart, one right handy
to the Iowa Central shops, 80 the boys
can get their checks cashed, one near
the Great Western station and two or
three near the union station. Every
where a. man IS likely to go the brew
ers have provided q saloon handy.
They have already applied for permits
to scatter over the residence districts.
Had Mason City determined to have
saloons. she should have taken warn
ing and put her license up to about
5000 She could let out three such
contracts at that price tomorrow II
she would guarantee the three mon
opoly. In Marshalltown 1t Is estimated
that each Of the twenty-five saloons
does business Of $4,000 annually,
about 100000 for a total. Each sa-
loon now pays $1,000 license. Add
$4,000 to each license and each saloon
would need to increase its business
only so per cent to pay the Increased
license out Of its profits. Upon this
basis ten saloons in Marshalltown
could pay licenses of $4,000 year to
the city and get out even If the total
annual sales of liquor in the city were
cut from s330,0oo to s230,O00.
It is a safe business proposition that
three saloon keepers would gladly bid
$4,000 apiece annually for the exclu-
siye saloon privileges in Marshalltown
and they could make money at the
price IL they sold only third the
amount of liquor now being sold in this
city. or $4,000 annually as against
s330,000 annually at present. To deny
that three exclusive saloons could not
sell this amount when twenty-five can
total S330,000 is to admit that three
times as much liquor will be sold in the
city from twenty-five saloons as when
three do all the business. Yet on one
third the public liquor bill the city and
county would receive 100000 from
three $4,000 licenses where they now
receive $4,000 from twenty-five $1,000
licenses. No one need be denied his
liouor either unless it be true that Mar
shalltown people hunger for bread be-
cause Of only three bakeries or want
for meat because Of only three or four
butcher shops. When watermelons are
handy at every corner people buy more
fo them. The brewers know all about
Ut