The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-25

tANS,'''''iN'AN Commissioner B. A. Thompson in acting under instructions of the state tax com 
 ing about 3ia per cent alcohol. It seems to us q mistake that prohibition laws should not recognize the difference be- tween beer and whisky and that they should class all drinks containing any percentage of alcohol alike.
 Skilled, as well as ordinary labor is scarce and In demand all over the coun- try, and we know that if a sweeping prohibition law should be enforced in this district, large numbers of our best work m,n would leave. There is no material at hand available with which to replace them and new labor, such as we need, will not come to q prohibition district. The inevitable result will be large cur tailment in production with correspond ing diminuton of pay rolls. The com munity would experience the evils of loss of population, loss of trade decrease of money in circulation, shrlnkage in values of real estate, without as we firmly be- lieJe, gaining any corresponding advan- tase fn a proportionate diminished con- sumption of liquor decrease in crime.
 "Liquor can be legally sold in only
 about six counties in our neighboring state of Mississippi, yet the records show that more than 600 government licenses are now in force in that state. against possibly less than seventy-five issued by
 the state, showing over 300 blind tigers. A few years ago when prohibition was in vogue In our neighboring little city of
 Anniston, there were about ninety places
 In that city where liquor could be ob- tained by any one who had the price. The
 experiment was admittedly failure, and
 the legal sale of liquor was again per- mitted. Atlanta had similar experience
 several years ago, and it will be interest ing to note the result of her second ex pertinent forced upon her, which will be- gin in January next.
 The interest on the bonded debt of the
 city of Birmingham amounts to about S12900o per annum; the amount realized from liquor liense Is sufficient to pay
 20O00 of this amount, leaving only 5000 to be paid from other funds. The city i will receive no benefit from increased tax
 valuations until the fall of 1908. Should
 her income from licenses be entirely swept away, either default will have to
 be made on her bonds, or else important
 appropriations in other directions, such
 as for schools and fire department cur
  creased licenses on other occupations.
 Tt Is not fair to draw conclusions as
 to the probable results of a prohibition
 experiment in the Birmingham district
 from occasional satisfactory experiences
 in agricultural counties. or in cities not
 extensively engaged in mining and manu-
 featuring operations, as conditions are
 totally different. The history of prohihi- ton has been. as a rule, history Of
 disappointed hopes. of violations of law,
 of undiminished crime, and of reaction. Maine Vermont, Kansas and Iowa can bear witness to this.
 We trust that the voters of this county will not be carried off their feet by an
 emotional wave, and when the statement
 is made that If prohibition will kill the
 district let's kill it, they should pause to consider what interests those who hold such sentiments represent, and what they have done for the material upbuildng or
 our city and district. The proper develop i ment of the great natural resources that were given to this county by the Al
 mighty require a large population to De centered here, and if 1t is our defire to reduce the number of arrests in this l county to that of rural communities we i must make up our minds that we must | that we must have thinly 1 settled farming district instead of | n great industrial hive. We can only | hope for. and we should demand a per 1 centage of drunkenness and crime not 1 higher than the average of that Of other | great industrial communities, and If our | present liquor laws cannot bring about l this result. we will still have other rem i edies.
 We believe the present agitation Of 1 prohibition is a mistake. and that it's
 adoption would be a most serious blow
 to this community industrially, commer- 1 cially and morally 1 William D. Jelks, 1 F. H. Crockarl. w. E. Leedy. l J. H. Woodward George NJ. Morrow. w. P G. Harding, J. C. Maben, 1 T. H. Motion, 1 F.. L. Brown. | Guy R. Johnson, | w w. Crawford, l Frank Nelson, Jr., John s. Gilespy. | John w. Mcqueen. Walker Percy | J. B. Cobbs, F. D. Dimmick,s A. B. Loveman. | w. H. Hassnger Robert Jemson Jr, l John w. O'Neill, l Leo K. Steiner, 1 w. H. Woodward. l E. F. Enslen. l Dr. William Jordan. 1 J. R. Robinson, 1 NJ V. Joseph, | John NJ Brooks, I H. C. Abbott l John V. Coe. l Colman Bach, R D. Carver,