Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-04-01
LIQUOR MEMS BIG POSTERS,

fuS hfmtfn anu 0Ofhntn. Attcu-
tion:' the other: Facts for Farmers.
Manufacturers, Dealers. Insurance
Agents, Transportation Companies and
Wage Farmers. Then follow some
| figures aud statements to which we
want to give little attention, inquir-
itg INTO their correctness, and s eng If
anything would be lost should tue
liquor traffic he abolished in Gratiot
County.
On one bill they claim to pay one
third of all the taxes in the United
States In order to make their claim
good in Gratiot County. they would
have to pay into the various treasures
$50 500. %. There are twenty-five sa-
looms in the county. They paid in Ii
cense fees last year SIP. 0l2.5l This
leaves $74, 5sS OF. Does each of these
twenty i've saloons pay on its stock and
property an average yearly tax OF ?, 1888. :
0O2 1.-THE figures appear absurd for this
county, is il supposaDle that there is a
Couutl III INC Chitcu ooatoS Woic thc1
do hold good IL is true they pay tax
on stock and property; but that prop
erty would nav the same tax without a
saloon in IL: and other stock would be
put in that would pay as much or more
tax than liquor stock.
The other poster says the brewers,
| -. oIato~s a,d 1;at,Ilars co,s,,,,a th;rty
six million bushels of corn every year,
which they value at $27. 247 20S or
about 70 cents per bushel. But from
1902 down to the present time farmers
have not received above 80 cents for
corn. Gratiot county farmers are now
receiving 60 cents, which is above the
where il is only 50 cents. Moreover
the governments report shows that
they used last year but 81 million. bush
els but granting their full claim it is
but one bushel in seventy of the entire
production 2, 5O), 900, 600 bushels. How
much would farmer lose If he should
have to feed one more bushel out of ev-
cry seventy he raises' An old farmer.
VIII IN asked what he would do. If all
the saloons were closed. replied, he
would prot ably Raise more hogs land
less hell -
The same bill also claims that they
use e2, $50, 600 bushels of barley, valued
at S62, 76O, coo. When did you ever re-
ceive dollar per bushel for barley
Average farm price December /, 1906
was Al ) cents. Their figures on rye
are about right.
1t is claimed that they pay for labor,
producers only )s54542 600. every year.
They also claim to give employment
to ?, $50, 900 people. That is an aver
age wage of sci. 80 for years work
Rather small wages that. But the
government statistics show that they
give employment to SOP, 900 people.
That is an average of SOS for
years work If these figure be cor
rect. il is evident that they do not
employ all OF these SOP, 900 people all
the time. Probably the great majority
of them are engaged also in work for
other people. This being true. how
much would these working men lose
by the ohliteration of the liquor traffic.
OF coal and other fuel they use So
900. 600. But the great army OF drink
ers and their families would use twice
that much. if there were no where to
buy liquor. S15. 900, 000 goes for bottles
Perhaps we cannot credit all these
figures, but we will accept these. This
same army would purchase more than
that in lamp chimneys. dishes, mir
rors etc. For various things, fiom
lumber to printing, etc, they claim
$3.50. 900. 900 but again this army
would purchase more than that Fire
Insurance premiums. $l5, 900. OOO But
the same buildings would be insured,
They pay to transportation companies
$40, 000, 900. But those same grains,
would still have to be transported
and the. food and feed from them
would take the place of all the liquor
that is made from them.
Farmers OF Gratiot. how much of
your corn goes to the breweries9 Graf
lot buys more corn than she sells.
Working men of Gratiot, how much
will you lose if our twenty-five saloons
are closed' Probably twenty five bar
tenders will have to seek employment
Now then, how much of these posters
can you believe? Ii these things are
thus misrepresented, can we believe
any of their statements Look out /
for some false literature this week
They will probably flood the county
with It, have in my possession a
PAPER called The Public Leader"
claiming to be published in Detroit by
the Michigan High License Temper
ance Association. which was circu-
lated in Montcalm County. during the
local option 6ght there in 1908. Its
figures and statements can no more be
relied on than those of the big posters
Other literature claiming TO be tenn
perance will be banded to you, put in