The public weal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1906-1908, 1907-05-01
The National Liquor Bill.
Fewer Saloons Sell More Liquer-Beer
Leads Whiskey-ComparisOn Between
Prohibition and License States.

|
The annual report of the Commission
er of Internal Revenue for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1906 shows that the
consumption of liquors for the year
has increased to a marked extent over
the previous year.
The receipts from the taxation of
spirits, which include the retail liq-
uor dealers" special tax amounted to:
For 1905 ..............$ .$135, ,953, ,513.12
For 1906 .............. 143,394 ,055.12
Increase ............ S,333,542.OO
The spirits withdrawn from bond
for consumption were as follows:
For 1905 .117,73S,753 gallons
For 1906 ......... .124 4,519,4 ,465 gallons
Decrease in Liquor Dealers.
1t is curious fact that while the
consumption of spirits has largely in
creased, the number of saloons has
considerably decreased. This is shown
by the returns of the collections from
special tax payers The collections
dealers" for the two years was:
l. VI lOOo .Po,fOI, ~ .of
For 1906 ................ 5,407 ,9S1,31
Decrease ............. S4,42623
AS these tax payers pay $25 each,
it appears that the decrease in the
number of saloons in the country has
been approximately 1877.
Beer Sales Advance.
The report shows, also, that the in
crease in the consumption of beer has
been even more marked than the in
crease in the consumption of spirits.
The collections from the taxes on fer
mented liquors for the two years was
as follws:
For 1905 $50, ,360,5 ,553.18
For 1906 ............... 55,641, ,S58.56
Increase ............. 5,281 ,305.38
From a detail of these figures, an
interesting fact develops in connec-
tion with the special taxpayers classi-
fled as retail dealers in malt liquor"
The collections from this source for
the two years were:
For 1905 .................$2 $3.50, ,431.76
For 1906 ................. 311 ,698.04
Increase ....... ....' 49,. o1,Aoo.lo
AS this class of special tax payers
pay each $40 per year, this increase
means that the number of retail
dealers in malt liquor" have increased
approximately 1858 during the year.
Outside of two or three states like
Texas where state law levies a tax
on sellers of beer distinct from full
saloon keepers, the holders of this
class Of special tax receipts are almost
wholly keepers of brothels. Uncle
Sans brothels have, therefore, in
creased about $500 during the year.
And as institutions of this class are
almost wholly confined to cities and
license cities at that, the fact counts
that much against the license policy.
Prohibition VS.. License States.
Another fact developed is the ef-
feet of prohibition upon the liquor
business. The aggregate collections
from Kansas as compared with the
surrounding license states was:
State Collections
hdnsdS .............. olO,l4I.4o
Nebraska ............... 2,555, 1929
MISSOURI ................ S,752,7Z9.5S
And the figures from Kansas in
clude the collections from the Indian
Territory and also from Oklahoma.
A similar showing is made in COM
pairing the collections from Massa-
chusetts with those Of the district of
New Hampshire which include also
the collections from Vermont and
Maine. They were:
State Collections
Massachusetts ........ SO, ,704, ,32492
Mo;po NJ ond W. co