The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-28

The Drain That IL Going TO be on tho
State or Georgia


State or Georgia
There is a great deal being said and
printed just now about the cost Of pro-
hibition. The first enthusiasm has
worn off and people are beginning to
count the cost The other day the
Chronicle had an interview with n well
known attorney that rec''ed some 3ha-
ses of the matter and set people TO
thinking. However, Ii is too early yet
to know whether or not prohibition
will pay. The first few weeks are not
enough to offer a sufficient interval 10
test It will require several seasons.
This Is the time OF the year when the
retail business houses do large bus
intss, but the time OF depression g
yet to come This winter is not a
good time when taken alone to judge
by. since it follows period OF remark
able financial depression that is leav-
ing its impress upon trade and COM
mercial life everywhere over the coun-
try.
These figures from the Milwaukee
Journal relate to merely one p1ase ol
the question. They have all been
quoted in the Chronicle but arc repro
duced here because they are compact
ly put and give at a glance pretty
close approximation of the primary loss
| cidentally, this is not the less that
counts. For it this money is expended
| by Georgians within the borders OF
| the state for other articles there is
, really no loss. The Journal says:
| Do you know how much il costs
when state goes dry"
Take Georgia On January l, every
saloon in Georgia was closed Every
! wholesale liquor house closed Every
distillery closed. Thousands Of people
had to find new employment or move
outside the state
There were AZ distilleries in Geor-
gia and $50 licensed places for the sale
Of alcoholic drinks. The capital invest
ed In breweries and other forms Of the
liquor business was more than $6,-
100000. The city of Columbus alone
bost $4,000 in revenue Savannah
Macon and Augusta lost $4,000 each
1t cost Atlanta $150,0O0 The federal
government loses 100000, and total
annual revenue lost to the state Of
| Georgia and it's cities is estimated as
exceeding s750,o00.
The real loss is coming, we imagine
! in the money that Is sent out of the
state. There is no denying-the North
! Augusta dispensary itself is a proof of
! lt-that people who Lave been accus-
! toned to drink in Geoi gia will con.
! tinue to and where the enforcement Of
! the law prevents their getting it at
| home they will send away for it. We
| believe that tens-Da .haps hurGrCiis
of thousands of dollars will leove Geor-
gia, this year that have been expended
at home. If it was possible to find out
! everywhere in the state the difference
! between business done this year and
last we would have an opportunity of
| knowing what Georgia has lost or
| gained. AS it is we will be able o-ly
to know vaguely the figures poll Of
the merchants should be made from
tlme to time, for the only way to know
! the value of an experiment is to watch
1t. Certainly if there is less drunken
ness through the year, more money re-
celVed by the trades-people and no
sensible diminution in business gener-
! ally we take IT for granted that prohi-
bbition pays, but if the contrary prove
uue then it will be prone to act. Co,
ta1nly the progress Of Georgia should
not be allowed to stop. We must not
retrograde, no matter what happens -
Augustra Chronicle.