Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-01-24
ans nave been oftentimes incapacita-
t'd for full wage earninps.n

/
ira for full wage earnings"
TO say that the saloon makes
business good is like saying that to
plfh 100000 worth of Fergus county s
wheat crop each year would improve
business conditions. You see their
logic? 1t would require a fire DEPART
ment to putt out, q salvage corps to
gather up the charred grain to feed
10 hogs, more carpenters to rebuild
the granaries, and more lumber
sawed to put into them, and more
men TO sow an increased acreage
next year. You see how it makes
business good to set fire to our gram
aries. Lets burn the whole crop next
tiine. Instead Of the fire deparement,
the salvage corps, etc. put their cor
responding terms, ministers, schools,
hospitals, jails, bartenders and under
Tar ers and you have the logic that
makes the saloon business helpful to
the community.
What does 1t pay to town as a
whole? Facts, just here, are better
IMAM guesses or opinions. The follow
Ing editorial is quoted by the Interior
from the North Dakota Eagle, q
prominent Bottineau county paper.
IL Is clear, undisputed testimony:
when prohibition went into effect,
some OF the leading papers of the
state prophesied that the grass would
grow on the streets of Fargo and
Grand Forks, and that their sister
towns across the river in Minnesota,
With the advantage of the saloons
ana all the business which the saloons
bring, and the magnificent revenues
from them would spring up into great
cities. Cross the river and you will
find that for once the newspaper men
were false prophets. Tao Minl,sota
towns still have the saloons AMI the
revenue OF from ten to thirty thous
ana dollars a year from them, but the
business, the growth, the prosperity,
have gone to the prohibition towns.
East Grand Forks, Minncsota, has
forty two Saloons The assessed valu-
alton of all the property is S3si,Ooo
with bonded Indebtedness; OF % per
cent, In addition to which there are
outstanding unpaid warrants and
other Indebtedness amounting To
$4,000, InGrand Forks (across the
river in North Dakota) the assessed
Yainarfsn is s3,5a0,0oo, Us bonded
Indebtedness being only 8 and one
halt percent. City warrants are at
Aaf and bonds above par.
IN East Grand Forks there is one
Ghrd mile of paving (mighty poor
stuff at that one mile OF sewer, and
an $500 electric light plant. Grand
Folks has fourteen miles of paved
streets, electric light plant, savior
system, water works, and s45,
filter. Notwithstanding all this,
the rate of taxation is twenty par
cent lower in Grand Forks with all its
improvements than in East Grand
Forks with almost no improvements
and its great saloon revenues. The
old theory that the saloons brings
business to town, paves anl lights
its streets and reduces taxation. his
long been exploded.
docs the saloon pay tho county
tax payer. Let the criminal court of
records answer. For the past Jwo
years approximate Sl5,OlJ Wa tn,
cost Of criminal cases in the district
court which arose in conneetion with
a saloon or in which liquo.. was d
factor. Ii we could saved that for
our new high school building il would
only require two mose years OF such
saving to pay for it.
''Does 1t pay the drunkards family?
Ask the lonely wife aal mothet at
The midnight hour, ask the women
in rags and tears, ask ths h,lDl.;, |
children who lack fathers care.
Ask all these ii the saloon pays and |
10 not forget that the chief damage
be reck0ned 10y money values. |
out must be measured in teas and |
sroanS, ruined bodies ana lost souls. y
IN