The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-24

| 81. 500 900 into the Golfers OF wholesale
liquor dealers OF Moorhead, the Minne-
sofa town just across the Red river
from Fargo.
These figures are computed from ac-
tual book accounts of sales and made
public by the wholesale liquor men.
who, being on license soil themselves.
do not hesitate TO give publicity to the
volume OF their business. The North
Dakota authorities cannot touch them,
and when arrests are made In North
Dakota for "pigging" the sufferers
are not these wholesale dealers but
the retailers who nave bought from
them.
Prohibition as . Teaser.
when you tell man he can't have
any booze. then he's sure to demand
1t, and make a hunt for it." is the way
the largest wholesale beer handler at
Moorhead put II. "and that is why
Moorhead is shipping liquor into North
Dakota in train loads"
Statistics compiled during visits TO
offices of the ten wholesale beer hand
lers at Moorhead show that 1000 cars
each worth $780, Is a conservative es-
innate OF the Moorhead beer shipments
into North Dakota in the last twelve
months. The beer goes to practically
every town in the so-called dry
state, the railroads shipping the goods
without question, although 1t is gem
orally sent to some fictitious name, the
party receiving the shipment adopting
that name for the time being and then
forgetting 1t. AS a result each man
In North Dakota. who receives sucn
shipments may pass under more differ
ent names in years time than the
leopard has spots.
Big Business IN sugar"
Sugar barrels, very dry outside. but
very wet inside, figure prominently in
the Moorhead beer shipments to dry
North Dakota. Each barrel OF sugar
contains seventy-two bottles of beer.
Practically all the shipments are bot
tied goods. One Moorhead general
agency of a big brewing company
sugar" into North Dakota since the
first of this year. and asserts that the
business is constantly increasing.
These shipments land in so-called
pool nall' and "malt' rooms, the
proprietors of which are, of course,
liable to arrest as "piggers" at any
time after receipt of the goods, which
fact is the least of the troubles OF the
wholesale daaler from whom the "su-
gar has been purchased and who sold
it on G. o. d. terms.
Although beer makes up the bulk
of the business of the liquor houses
at Moorhead, liquor also is big item.
Whisky bottles of various sizes (most-
ly small) are packed in small boxes
as merchandise" and sent by express
also G. o. D. One Moorhead whole
sale merchandise house is said to
have done a North Dakota business of
100000 in the last year. The total
value Of this line of business from the
town reaches probably $500, ,000--an
estimate made by wet goods deal
err"
Fargo Pays the Freight.
There is an important local question
now arising between Fargo and Moor
head, as result Of the liquor busi-
ness just across the bridge in the
Minnesota town.
Moorhead is hardly large enough to
support more than three or four sa-
looms, but it has forty seven saloons.
These are supported by the constant
string of visitors from Fargo-and
who have nearly worn the planks
through on the bridge board walk
with the constant pattering of shoe
leather. The saloon license fee in
Moorhead is $1,000, giving the town an
annual income from its saloons of SAT-
600 year-practically a contribution
from the pocketbooks of Fargoites.
This has brought Moorneads tax rate
down to 81 mills, while in Fargo the
rate is over As mills.
Nor do these figures really tell the
whole story; for during each OF the
last three years, Fargo has found it
necessary largely to increase Its as
sessments to keep within the legal
limit of SO mills and yet raise needed
funds. Fargo would like to know how
to "even up" with Moorhead but up
to date has not discovered how to do
it. Fargo merchants, however, recon-
cile themselves by explaining that the
Moorhead saloons doubtless attract
many people from the surrounding
section OF North Dakota into Fargo,
and that, after all, perhaps Fargo does
reap a partial benefit.
Wanted.-Five boys at CLANCY
Everhart Candy factory.