The Columbus journal., 1908-06-10
BUSINESS MEMS
OPINIONS:
Discu ssing the Best Means OF
Controlling the Liquor
Traffic.
they SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE

Well.knOwn Nebraska Merchants De-
scribe Local Conditions Under
Both Dry and Wet Regimes,
Affecting Retail Business
and Tax Rates.
Many responsible business men
throughout Nebraska have expressed
their opinions on the question of the
best means of controlling the liquor
traffic. Some towns have voted the
saloon out of existence, while others
have voted for license. Quite a num-
Der of towns have reversed their pol.
icy in the matter. In cases like this.
residents of those towns are in a po
sition to form accurate judgment re-
specting the result of this experience.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
association recently sent out queries
to business men. The following replies
have been received:
HOLSTEIN-G. L. Fischer, grain.
says: 1T is true that the question of
license prevailed in our town through
the active influence of business men
and property owners, who feared the
loss of country trade, and the estab-
lishment of dives and other clandes-
tine means of dispensing liquor Incl
dent to a dry town. The business men
also believed that the dry policy
would make them pay more taxes"
STERLIN+C. w. Stuve, general
mercl andise, says: Our people favor
license as long as the liquor men are
willing to run their places right. Dur
ing the campaign the merchants urged
that the dry policy would drive away
the trade of farmers for miles around,
since there are many Germans in this
locality. It was also argued that the
barring of the saloon caused mer-
chants to pay highr taxes"
INDIANOLA-Chest w. Dow. i'm
plements, writes: about twO-thirds
of the business men Of this town are
license men, and they advance the
theory that the license policy draws
trade to their stores"
FORT CALHOUN-Fred H. Frahm
says: Every business man in town is
in favor of high license. They argue
that there is no doubt that taxes
would be much higher under the dry
policy. In regard to lose OF trade.
that is an open question"
UTICA-A grain merchant writes:
High license was carried here in the
last election by q large majority. Most
of the people of this vicinity favor
high license in preference to a dry
town, which would bring about boot
Logging and other clandestine methods
of selling liquor. If we had no saloon
here, liquor would be shipped in any
way as long as 1t is made and our
merchants believe it is better to have
q saloon in order to know just where
the liquor is being sold"
CI.ARKS- Campbell brothers write:
This town is dry. Many of our busi-
ness men believe the policy hurts
their business, since surrounding
towns have saloons. and many of the
farmers are Swedish, Dutch, and b.
hemian. The question of increased
taxes was not discussed here"
HERMAN H. HerzOg. lumber.
says: with one exception. every
business man in town supported the
vet ticket. The question of country
was the principal argument
put up by the vets before election"
SEWARD-H. A. Graf. clothing, 70
plies: Il believe the majority of the
business men and property owners
here favor the policy of license under
more strict obervance Of the Slocumb
law. Our people are demanding bet
ter enforcement"
STELLA-A prominent business
man writes: There seems to have
been enough business men here to
carry the license ticket, l am sorry to
say, through fear of heavier tax in
case of the adoption Of the dry policy.
During the campaign, the merchants
argued that the taxes would be much
heavier il the town should 60 dry
KEARNEY-Says a leading mer-
chant: The result of the election on
the question of license in this city.
We are inclined to think, was brought
about under the idea that the liquor
traffic could be better controlled with
the open saloon than by supplying the
demand for liquor through drug stores
and bootleggers. Then again. many
business men feared the loss of trade
from the foreign element in the coun-
try; further than this, the revenue
coming to the town from licenses is
SIC. 900 annually. which is of material
help to the city, as well as to the
school fund"
FAIRBURY-D. B. Cropsey. editor. |
replies: "Our business men thought |
the license system was the best way
In which to regulate the liquor bust |
ness. It is true that they feared they
would have to pay too heavy a penalty
In loss of outside patronage and In in |
creased taxes As results Of q dry
town."
BLUE HILL-C. F. Gund, cashier. |
says: "Our town is in a German COM |
hence our merchants realize |
that trade would suffer If q dry policy |
we're adopted"
SILVER 'REEK-D. F. Davia, pub |
Usher, replies: Il think I can truth |
IuIly say that our people feared . loss !