The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-12-14
Leaguers Address IL Big
MankatO Meeting.
ECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW
How Law Endorsement Has Worked
in Minneapolis: 1t Has Been
a Paying investment.
From NTonday's DalIv.

From Mondays DalIv.
The theatre was filled last evening fly
Il representative audience on the occa-
sion of the union meeting in the inter-
est of the Anti-Saloon league. The pas
tors of several churches and a joint
h0ir. besides the speakers from abroad,
occupied seats on the stage. Leaflets
were passed to all corners, and several
songs were sung by the choir the au-
dience joining. including Throw Ont
the Life Line" Rev. f. VI. MartinsOn
presided.
The speakers were not radical and
did not indulge in invectives against the
curse of rum or anything of the sort,
neither did they attack the saloonkeep-
ers as men, but their talks were along
practical lines, devoid of sensational
ism
c. w. Purple, a Minneapolis attorney
spoke first, in business like way that
won the respect of the audience. He
would not discuss the subject from a
although this was Sunday and he was
speaking to a Christian audience, but
from the standpoint that a pagan would
look at it if it was presented to MIN
from the economical point of view.
Judging from the amount of money
which the least profitable of the saloons
in Minneapolis must take in before they
begin to pay the proprietors, which was
$4,000, he judged that the saloons of
Mankato were taking i'm 100000 II
year as Il minimum. and the people who
paid this sum were Mankato people. In
return for this, what did Mankato get +?
The 81 900 license fee from each of the
thirty saloons and nothing more.
Factories that are located in the city
gather in money from outside and spend
it in the city in wages. The brewing
companies own most of the saloons. and
the brewers take the money that the
saloons take in. A brewing company
employs less labor for the size of the
plant and the capital invested than any
r diner b,,siness. In other, fact cries for
each 800 worth of goods made from
$50 to $50 is paid out in labor, but in
the manufacture of beer but .23 for
each 500 of product is paid out for la
Dor. The Minneapolis Brewing company
makes beer for 60 cents a barrel, foam
and all, and pays the government ST. a
barrel revenue tax. 1t sells the beer to
the retailer. which is itself for SO bar
rel. and then the public pays Sl5 to SIG
barrel for the stuff. Is it any wonder
that the saloon men want to keep IN
business? Where does the $40 90? Dc
these men donate for public improve
ments, assist i'm getting factories in the
city, give donations for libraries, or dc
they spend their money lavishly?
Mr.. Purple complimented the city of
ficials upon having sanded the slippery
sidewalks. and then said that this after.
noon he had seen a man who had found
tn" sidewalks too narrow for him, and
had seen him come out of tie place
where he had gotten the stuff that
made the walks too narrow for him
1T would be good thing if the city
would do something for the man who
found the walks too narrow instead OF
sanding the walks for the rest of the
people.
How are the saloons to be gotten rid
Of? First, by eXerting every check ant
restraint that the laws provide In most
places nothing of this kind is DONE In
Minneapolis the law has been enforced
and it has been found to pay i'm ever,
way, and the people would not go bacl
to the old way for anything. 7 ne none,
that was spent in the Sunday saloons il
now spent in the stores, and there il
trade the year around that resemble,
the pre-holiday trade, neither are Their,
one-half of the Sunday drunks that
there formerly were.
The trouble is that i'm most places the
people gather together and pass resolu
tons and sing "Throw Out the Life
Line" and where Is NV Wandering
BOY Tonight? ?" and think that they hav,
done their whole duty. But they have