The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-06-03
MAY HAPPEN HERE ALSO.
The Truth About Washington c. II.
Ohio Taxes,

by the Anti-Saloon league and its
paid agitators as a shining example
of the benefits of voting dry and re-
ducing tax rates. A brief examina-
ton of the books of the city audi
tor of Washington c. H., reveals the
truth about the tax rate in that
town. In 1906 when the town was
wet the rate was 141S mills per
thousand dollars, and the rate in
1908 dry is 1914 mills per thous-
and dollars. This shows a reduction
of IA mills per thousand dollars.
At the expense of what funds
have these reductions been made?
How have the reductions affected
the town? These are inquiries that
suggest themselves and this article
will answer them and show to the
taxpayers and citizens of other coun-
ties that Washington c. H. is merely
being used for the purposes of the
Anti-Saloon league.
In the first place u mill has
been Topped off the sinking fund
rate, which, in 1906 a wet year was
81 mills 1t is now 314 mills. The
effect of this reduction in the sink
ing fund rate is to create a shortage
of funds to meet the payment of
Washington C. H. bonds as they ma
turc. The bonded debt of the town
is $4,000, of which $4,000 has
been added since the town went dry.
In July 1908 an additional bond is.
sue Of $13:5oo became necessary to
repair streets and sewers. In the
two years Washington c. H. has
been dry she has been compelled to
issue $2S,5O0 in bonds TO keep up
the city. Remember also that no
adequaia provision has been made
in the sinking irnd to pay off bonds
and interest. What is the result?
The town has not yet been able to
sell her last issue of bonds. Inves-
tors do not want the bonds of a
city that has not adequate sinking
fund to pay them off and take care
of the annual interest. In order to
finally meet these bonded obliga-
tions the town must increase its
tax rate and this will be done after
the Anti-saloon League has no Fur
ther need 20 use Washington c. H..
as an argument to wipe out the
Iiouor traffic. The Anti-Saloon
League in addition to paying no
taxes itself has never been known
to pay any ones increased taxes.
The Public Service Fund.
In 1906 (wet) the public service
fund of Washington c. H. arproxi-
ated IA mills of taxes. In 1908 the
rate was reduced to mills or IA
mills less than in 1906. What was
the effect of this? From the public
service fund money is derived to
pay for street improvements, street
cleaning and general municipal re-
pairs and expenses. It is notorious
in Washington c. H. that the streets
have not been swept or cleaned for
two months. Piles of manure and
offal tester under the sun on Court
street which is paved with brick.
Confirmation of this is to be had
from the letter of Health Ofhcer
Mccoy, of Washington c. H., on Au-
gust 9th, 1908, to the Ohio state
register of that town. In the letter
Health Officer Mccoy says the
streets are in a filthy and unsani-
tary condition. The town has no
money yet to clean her streets but
she has provided capital for the drys
even though she has no funds to
keep the highways in decent condi-
ton. When the town sought to as
sess abutting property owners on
the dirty streets to pay for their
cleaning a tremendous protest went
up, and the streets are in the
same condition today.
Public Safety Fund.
This fund pays for policemen and
protection. But is this necessary
in a dry town? The favorite argu-
ment of the Anti-Saloon League is
that if you vote your town dry you
do away with the necessity for
police as there will be no drunken
ness, law breaking, thievery or bur
glary and hence no need for police
men. See what Washington G. H.
has had to do since she voted dry
In 1906 (wet) the police fund was
$500: in 1907 dry the police fund
was $2O9O; in 1908 dry the police
fund was $2500.
In two years the town has had to
increase her fund to pay police ex
penses $500 over what the vets us
ed. Why this increase to policemen
il the arguments of the drys as tc
less crime, drunkenness, &C? The
answer is that just as much liquor
is sold in Washington G. H. as for
merly ard the police have so much
work to do chasing "bOotleggers'
that it was necessary to raise theil
salaries. Hence the increase in the
police fund. And with all the liquor
sold surreptitiously in Washington
c. II. not one dollar of revenue goes
TO the town, county or state. Hence
the adding of nearly one mill o.
taxes to raise money for the public
service fund.
Still another reason that helped
reduce the tax rate in the town Il
found in the fact that since 190
(wet) the tax duplicate was increas
ed over 100000 in order to brinl
1 in more funds.
Last But Not Least.
Washington has a $4,000 stean
street roller. II has been idle 70