Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-28
SALOON REVENUE.


One OF our councilmen the other day
gave uttcrance to the profound thought
that the City needs the revenue Of an
other saloon The financial status Of
the City is, as most of the councimen
know, so bad that those responsible do
not dare to make an Ineligible state
ment, for fe9r OF losing the confidence
OF their dupes. but as has been pointed
out in these columns, the revenue from
saloons is no revenue 1t is loss
Tho police authorities OF San Fran
cisco have demonstrated that the clos
ing of saloons for any length of time re-
duces crime as much as SO per cent.
In the report issued some time after the
earthquake the Police said: Last year,
with open saloons, the arrests per day
averaged 100 to I25. Since April is. with
all saloons closed, Notwithstanding the
influx Of curiosity seekers and notwith-
standing tens of thousands of people
are camping on the streets, on vacant
lots and In the parks. the average
number of arrests has been from four
to FIVE per day" Before the closing OF
the saloons four police courts were
busy all the time. Since the saloons
were closed the courts had practically
nothing TO do. On the 9th of June
there were five arrests; on the 2Sth, six:
on the 2sth, two This is practical
demonstration of the revenue city
derives from saloons.
Sir Oliver Moffat is authority for the
statement that at least rs per cent OF
all crimes and pauperism is the result
of drunkenness. This can be believed
Men steal to get money to take to the
saloon. They beg for the same pur-
pose. Assaults and offenses against
morals and decency are in great meas-
ure committed by intoxicated persons
who in their sober moments are
ashamed of themselves. vagraney.
drunkenness and related crimes always
increase with the increase OF the con-
sumption of intoxieants. The saloon
costs any community In which 1t ostab-
fishes Itself many times the amount
1t pays into the public treasury, through
the added cost OF taking care of GRIM
Hnals and unfortunate victims of a
depraved appetite.
Some estiinabe women of this City
have undertaken to do what they can
towards purifying the moral atnos-
phere here Their attention should
first of all be directed toward the liz
uor cancer that has fastened itself
on the very center of the community.
where everybody must be offended by
the sight of IT, and many fall victims
TO It's contagion. Why not create O.
strong public sentiment in favor of q
cleaning up as thorough and as speedy
as practicable? Justice Whitman,
president of the board Of magistrates
for Manhattan and the Bronx, once
said;
Personally, IL l had the power.
would close every saloon in the Unit
ed States, and / am not crank or a
fanatic on the liquor question. /
drink, myself. whenever l care to, and
probably shall continue to do so. / |
am willing that every other man shall |
have the same rights as / have. But |
when you sit ON the bench that sit |
on and see 20 per cent. Of the cases |
come before you, and see the misery |
distress, and crime, all due to llouor |
selling, / say any man with red blood |
In his veins is likely to feel that the
world would be infinitely better off
II the liquor saloons could be crushed
out, cost what II may. | believe It
Is the most aborninable, the most out
rageous, ana most inhuman influence
in New York City today"
It may not be possible to 'crush
out the saloon, but It should be pos
sible to say to the saloon keeper 'fYou
must carry on your business In "A less
conspicuous locality, whore the temps
tation Ia less Tor those who are young
and inexperienced" II should not be
difficult to create a sentiment in ia
vor Of so reasonable a demand, even |
If the saloon Is o political power
which the party bosses are afraid of
offending,
The saloon is no friend of labor.
Somebody has made the following |
calculation: II a laboring man buys |
500 worth Of shoes no gives S20.7t |
for labor. or 500 worth Of furniture.
s2g.77 IS for labor, and son ON. n
eight laboHng men spend $500 Tor
furniture. hardware, shoes etc. they
contribute $l47i3 10 The support OF
laborers and their families. II they
spend $500 in a saloon. 1884 is for
labor and the rest--for what9
II this calculation Is only approxi-
mately correct the saloon Is the worst
enemy OF the laborer as well as OF
the community.