River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-04-02

W. -
saloons for the past FIVE years and
each saloon has paid a high license
fee of $500. That means 81 500 each
year income for that county or $22,-
500 for the whole time. During that
time the county under the direction
of the County Court has paid these
bills:
For the county insane $4,000
For boarding prisoners in
Jail 1908
Salary for taller five years $500
Salary and fees of prosecuting
attorney for five years 1850
Criminal Court costs 1929
County poor farm 1850
Pauper supported at large 5000
Total, $40, 1892
We will deduct one-fourth of this
amount as due to other causes,
which is more than any good author
ity attributes to other causes than
the saloon, and will leave $32, 199 as
the direct charge of the saloon
against the county. And this makes
no amount of the depreciation of
| values of real estate, or of other in
cidental damages, as we'll as the
broken hearts and homes, destroyed
by the traffic.
TO meet this charge the saloon
keepers pay bride, called license,
of $22, 500 to help defray what their
business costs the Atax-payers of
that county. That leaVes $4,000 for
the taxpayers to make up,-or
about two thousand year for that
| county.
But here is another illustration:
| When for a few months the saloons
were closed on Sundays in East St.
Louis, the criminal record dropped
! over two-thirds. There were but
few arrests and many Sundays came
and passed without a prisoner in the
jail. During the same time East
St. Louis had an open Sunday and
several times the 1rrests were SO
numerous that the jails would not
hold them. Since St. Louis has
closed it's saloons on Sunday, crime
has decreased go per cent, and prop
erty has increased in value. Since
Kansas City closed it's saloons al
together, crime has decreased 80
per cent, property has increased,
the bank deposits for the working
men have increased 40 per cent, the
police force has been reduced nearly
one-half, the attendance at schools
largely increased and at several
nearly doubled, while in one ward
it took Is teachers to do the work
the first Dry year where eight had
done the work the last wet" year.
The simple fact of the case is
that the man who votes for the
saloon because it will help you pay
his bills, finds out later that it does
not, but makes some more bills
which he has to pay. The licensed
saloon is.not form of philanthropy.
1t does not work for the taxpayers
health or for any body's health.
1t is law breaking institution. 1t
is the breeder of vice, the producer
of crime, which in the end the tax
payer must meet the bills for And
after this every man must go right
on and pay for his road and water
and school tax just the same. For
the saloon does not even pay it's
own way.
Second: If the saloons are closed,
the farmers will suffer for the want
of market for grain. But the per-
son using this argument, forgets
that from carefully ascertained sta
tistics we find that only one bushel
of barley out of 90 goes into the
brewery; and only one bushel of corn
out of 1913 ever goes into the dis
tillery. This argument, like many
others, trifes with the intelligence
of Our farmers, just like the tax ar
gument is travesty upon the intel
ligence of our voters. Neither is
worthy of our consideration, but
only of our scorn and contempt.
Third: IF the saloons are discon-
tinued, there will be large number
of people thrown out of employ
ment." This argues too much.
Does not the saloon throw people
out of employment? Does not the
use of alcohol destroy the ability to
get and hold employment? Alco-
holism, no matter how you consider
il, is the curse of the industrial |
world to-day.
Besides, if it is to be matter of
the employment of the laborers, why
not put the money where it employs |
the most men? Just run over the
following table and then ask where
money invested proves the greatest
boon to labor:
For each $500 spent in boots and
shoes, 5000 goes to labor.
For each $500 spent in furniture,
$23.77 goes to labor.
For each $500 spent in hardware,
$24.17 goes to labor.
For each $500 spent on clothing,
$19 AZ goes to labor.
For each 500 spent in cotton
goods, $1691 goes to labor.
For each 500 spent in mems fur
nishings, 1854 gees to labor.