Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1905-08-17
some FIGURES.
THEY ARE OF PUBLIC REC
ORD, THEREFORE,
CORRECT.
The Argus Endorses Capt. Pet
erson's Views and Thanks
Him For His Compre-
hensiye Presenta-
ton OF the Facts.

DEAR ARGUS: As the inf0rma-
ton is being indpstriousIy circulated
that the recent incre 3se il the city
tax levy is due TO discontinuance of
the liquor license of $500, and as
this argument is apparently used to
misleal, 1 deem it proper to note
some facts and figures on this line.
}r many years prior to 1903, in adj
iiuon TO liquor license, the city taxes
were SOC. on the $500 as now pro-
posed. When the city purchased
the water aud light plants whereby
rental W. not counted then a tax
vas added to meet the bonds, and
property tax was reduced TO SOC.
In order to understand the fnan-
cial condition of Gold5boro I give the
following figures of the past two or
three years;
Valuation il 1903, s., 170, 047; taxes
collected, with liquor license, $19, 525, |
80; valuation 1904, So, 207, 100, tax
collected, without license, $15,451, 98, |
valuation 1905, %, 270, 000.
The last Legislature removed the |
sales tax on merchants, whichamount-
ed to 81, 200 or $1,000, and on horse
dealers and some other revenue for
merly collected by the city, so that
the Board Of Aldermen, seeing this
= lieut. off, thought it necessary to place
1 the tax at the former levy of so c,
This will give the city an annual
. revenue Of SIC, $50 Now this is more
than is necessary II meet the current
expenses; so doubtless the Board had
:, in view the final cancellation of a
e debt of Sc, 900 that has been standing
D for some time, and that was not
funded when the bonds for SIS .00O
were issued; this debt is for some
=, notes due for the ground on which
the CITY Hall stands, for the extern
: sion of water works, etc, this debt
. was standing when liquor licen-e
- was collected and is rot chargeable
to prohibition. 1t has been the Gus.
tom for many years to berrow money
to tide over from one year to an
~ lAhGr It,t thu do 1,r -Oav,- r, i,
-. to clear this off, which can soon b
done if careful expenditures are ob
= serVed.
The fines collected now going t
= the school fund and net into the cit,
treasury, and the doing away of tn
j.. merchants tax and some other take
makes a deficit in receipts of abou
" SO, coo, this Of course has to be con
- sidered, as this is the first year i,
which the merchants tax is not re
" ceived. This amount of course ha
- to be raised from other sources.
Whileit may be 81 open question
that as strict economy is not observ
ed in the management of public al
fairs as individuals would demand
yet it ie well to consider these ques
= lions before finding loo much fauti
he The expenses Of Goldsboro willnatu
q rally increase from year to year a
! 3" the city Widens out, but values vii
increase in like proportion. TIL
town is growing in prosperity eacl
year, there is absolutely no reason
- for the cry hat ONE 7 making
that business is suffering from pro
Inhibition, that business was less las
Iyeartban the yearbefore, whenliquo
'h was sold here; the record is that i,
az 1908 when the bars were open, til,
sales Of the merchants Of Goldsbor'
were 81, SOC, 079, while in the Prohi
lie bition year of 1904 they were 81,
ia 734, 767 a gain of SI2S, 638 in favor @
the Prohibition year. Some wht
made a gain of 338 per cent. ar,
- loudest in complaining ofadull year
Now, the argument Of the increas,
OF zoe. on the 800 to help meet al
old debt, when properly understood
nd is answered. The question of a few
g, cents of tax will not turn the head
.es of as many people as some agitator
d think. / have endeavored to dea
ne candidly with the figures | hav,
given: they are a matter Of publ
record. With the improved condi
tions existing here, surely nobody
OF seriously expects a reversal of publ
~ sentiment? Such movements do no
ii usually go backward.
" IF the issue must be met, it viii
OF likely be faced with increased assur
a 70 ance. The places Of faltering me-
rs are usually replaced by more heroi
n spirits. while the fidelity Of woman
hood in every good cause is withou
a parallel: thes5 must be reCkoned il
the account Of this matter.
be Respectfully,
@. j. Z. PETERSON.
er-
"
lie