The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-12
ATLANTA'S EXPERIENCE
Her Commerce Dmhshed Her Values Deprecated and Her Growth Blighted by Distressing Effects of Fanaticsm on Prosperity and Morals-Why Local
 Option Was Overwhelmingly Repudated

lot in a most desirable portion of the city. the house alone costing $l7,0O0 to build. was sold by Charles Beerman for Sl0,00o. The Weems property. on Capitol avenue, one of the aristocratic streets, which was held before prohibition at SlS,00o, was put upon the market and sold for SlO000 Sales at similar reduction were frequent
 The operation of the law drove many valuable and enterprising citizens from Atlanta These il Is estimated by officers of two of the lead ing banks of the city, took away with them, in cash, some three millions of dollars The loss in annual commerce to the city from the enforcement of the law was estimated, by thirty of the lead ing merchants bankers and business men, none of whom ever sold hquor at be- tween six and seven million dollars.
 The total value of personal property returned for tax in the city decreased from $7,SS9. 269, in 1885 to s7,6I9 4S9 in 1886, and to s7,641, 326 in lSS1
 A very serious effect of the law was the intense bitterness stirred up between citizens. which resulted in a general dis inclination to contribute to public en- terprises. This bitterness was not con fined to those engaged in the liquor traf- tic and those opposed to them, but in- volved, on both sides. the best citizens in the town.
 While values rents and trade were thus disastrously affected, taxes enormously increased. Larger revenues than in former years were required to support the ma chinery for enforcing the prohibitory law. and these had to be drawn from dimin ished revenue-pa yng sources. By the operation of the prohibitory law, more -over the city was deprived of large income from saloon licenses. This amount HV 0 fl.w fr, creased demand and cover the dehcien- cies, the owners of personal and real propery, which had appreciated in market and rent-paying value 15 to 90 per cent, were required to pay Si69, ,026. 30 in 1886, as against $433, ,6S9 5S in 1885. an increase of B per cent. This increased tax was raised by retaining the old rate of taxation and increasing the assessed value on real es- tate, which was thus made to bear, not only all these increases in tax, but to make good the loss in revenue due to the decrease in personally a. well.
 The cost of administering the city gov ernment was thus $41, $40. G9 more in 1886 than in 1885. In 1885 the city. with smaller revenue andssubject to higher in terest charges. invested over s27,000 more in permanent improvements than in the year 1886 It Is estimated by those faml- far with the city's finance that her con dition was over slO0 GOO worse in 1887 than in 1885. It is certain that the city was forced to sell GOO of gas stock which she held to provide funds for municipal purposes for which the revenue of the city had before been adequate.
 The police force of Atlanta was in- creased 20 per cent under prohibition and still found it's hands fully occupied. The number of persons convicted for crime in the superior court of Fulton county of which Atlanta is the county seat, ex- elusive of cases continued from former terms of court. increased from 61 in the year ending July l. 1886. under license, to S5 in the year ending July 1, 1887 under prohibition, increase of over 39 per cent The total fines assessed in the city police court in 1885 was $21 903 25 This had increased under prohibition, in 1886 to S23S17 30 Of the fines assessed, f5 per cent were collected in 1885, and only 5S per cent in 1886. The number of in- dictments returned by the grand jury of Fulton county at its last two terms prior to prohibition was 116. The num- Der returned in the two terms following under prohibition, was 147, an increase of about 27 per cent. The number of men working out the penalties for their offenses in the "chain gang" of the city was according to the statement of Mr. Thomas Donaldson, the supervisor one third larger under prohibition than un- utI 1tSIlSe. IdupeGlSm also SllRHJIY increased in the city. as Is shown by the expenditures therefor.
 It is safe to say that the cause of temperance gained nothing by prohibit tion in Atlanta. The columns of the leading papers of the city daily chron- icled arrests for drunkenness. As a leading citizen put IL: If you tell man he shan't drink, he will find a way to do It." It is a fact that there were St- For 1 ,Ir.ar ,la,. prohibition than under license. The law created a new class of drunkards. The young men of the city occupying posi- tions as clerks. bookkeepers. etc, and engaged in other business and profess sional pursuits, formed the habit of keeping liquor in their rooms, and meeting around of evenings for con vivia1 enjoyment. As result hun dreds of young men who formerly took an occasional drink became more or less given to drinking every night.
 Before prohibition the city had 96 saloons These were abolished but in their places were opened under local option, some 40 wine rooms, and the number of drug stores, considerably in creased. so that the number of places at which liquor could be had was prac- tically as great as before the adoption of the law. There were, besides, dog en or more club rooms In the city. The members of these clubs carried keys, went in and out and got drinks from the hired bartender at will.
 On Friday the 18th of August, 1887, a single train brought 300 jugs of whis- ky to the city and POO more came by the same train on the following day.
 One hundred and fifteen of the 137 counties of Georgia had local option laws in force in 1SS6-7. That the laws were imperative was demonstrated by the fact that the number of licenses is- sued by the United States internal rev