Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-03-01
THE PUTNEY COLUMN


In rcspone to Mr.. Houghtons inquiry
.. last weeks Phoenix as to what we are
.lfng to do about the license question,
.uov me to present a few more facts
I'm the first place he seems to have be-
cam. suddenly alarmed about the finan-
.fII conuluon of the town and suggests
RS ID remedy that we can raise $500 from
Che license fee providing the town votes
for license.
Ills statement in this connection is
..rcWhat misleading from the fact that
Boo case the town received q license fee
If $500 one-half of it would be paid to
,na state and the town would retain but
$3.50 which. with our present tax rate of
81 90 would represent a tax on about
si5 600 worth of property, instead of
$50 900 as stated.
AGAIN. this license fee of $500 repre-
,onts but a small part of the profits of
the license and comes from the pockets
5f the patrons of the bar who are prin-
.iually citizens of the town who can i'll
.dord to spend their money i'm that way.
In view of the fact that our license
IRA started in with the claim by its
advocates that it would result in lower
taxes and better times a few facts from
tine auditors report may be edifying. In
February. 1903 the beginning of the Ii
..use period the towns Indebtedness was
"a 265.57. with the tax rat $1.55. In 1904
indebtedness 1854 .03 and tax rate S155
%
rate $1.G5. In 1906, Indebtedness 1855. 05
and tax rate S1.65.
This shows an increase of the towns in
l,htedness for the three years of S13-
32a4S. while the tax rate increased 10
cents. And this all happened while the
town was basking under the beneficient
influence Of high license and the gold
dollars from the license fee were flowing
into the town treasury. 1t is evident that
the license business does not work that
way If we would better our financial
condition, let us go at it in the more
sensible and legitimate way of either re-
ducing our town expenses or increasing
the tax rate. or both.
For the purpose of considering our IL
cense policy aside from the financial as
pcct we can divide our citizens into three
classes:
LIST The habitual and confirmed users
of intoxicating liquors who will obtain
and drink liquor under any law yet de-
vised. End. The total abstainers Meth
or of these need be seriously considered
in this connection as the one will have
their liquor and the other will not wheth-
er the town votes license or no-license
The third and largest class consists OF the
moderate and occasional drinkers-those
who like to take a drink when they are
where il is, and the young men who have
no fixed habits in regard to the use of
intoxicants.
It is the welfare of this class that should
control our vote on the license question
for there was never a confirmed drunxard
that did not start at a moderate drinker
! believe the statement that drinking
and drunkenness have increased in our
town during the last year is a matter of
opinion, rather than a matter of fact.
and if it is a fact it is because we are
reaping the fruit of three years of license
The fact that under license any per-
son can be prevented from obtaining
liquor of the licensee by entering a COM
plant with the license board does not
prevent that same person from getting
all the liquor he wants in other ways, as
a present.
If orders are being taken and liquor
is now illegally sold in town it is not so
much ale fault of the law as of the nom
enforcement of the law. Because the
barrel leaks at the spigot Mr.. Houghton
practically suggests that turn it over
and let it run out at the bung.
VIII anyone name a single person in the
town of Putney who will be benefited by
return to the license policy with The
Exception of the licensee. who would un =
douhtedly reap a rich financial profit?
With the enactment of the present law
a good many towns tried the experiment
Of license with the result that each sue
ceedng year has shown a falling off in
the number of license towns until there
are very few continuing the experiment.
Let the town of Putney take no back
ward step in this connection. but lei
every voter be present and vote according
to his freemans oath and the dictates OF
his conscience for the greatest good tC
the greatest number and our license pol
icy will be definitely settled.
GEORGE T. APLIN.