The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1909-04-08

| the hard times, amounted to S35o,OOU.
Some years ago the company con-
sidered moving in order to get better
railway facilities. They found that it
cost them more for their raw materials
| and more to market their products
than it did their competitors. In
studying the situation, however, they
| found that the product Of their factory,
/ pei man, was greatly in excess of any
other manufacturer in their line, eth
er in this state or in Illinois. A care
| full weighing of circumstances con-
vinced them that this was due to the
fact that there were no saloons in
Evansville, and that every man took
total abstinence pledge when he
entered their employ, and that those
who failed to keep this pledge were
discharged. The foreman of another
plant manufacturing the same lines
and employing $500 men, recently
said: "Before arriving at my present
position [ have worked in many shops
including the Baker shops at
Evansville. There is not an
other factory that can complete with
their men in product per capital, and
their superiority is entirely due to the
fact that none of them ever use liquor"
Having discovered that the superior
ity Of their men was responsible for
the profits of the company, they de-
cided that the laborer should share in
the profits. At that time the company
was capitalized at 5000, 900, which was
to be preferred stock and was to re-
ceive a per cent annual dividend, ,paid
quarterly in advance. The record for
the past ten years since this was adopt
ed
Of S2OO, 900. ......... .....S06U,0 U,0|4.O9
Thus there has been over 100000 in
profit sharing for these ten years.
When a mechanic, whose daily
wages amount to $500 per year, receives
bonus of $3.50 because this city is no.
license, it is hard to convince him that
the "personal liberty" to drink is a
thing to be fought for.
A statement of the proprietor of the
credit clothing store is significant. He
said: "I do credit business, but not
more than 20 per cent of sales are book
ed, and not to exceed one-half of per
cent of my total sales are lost in bad
accounts"
Evansville reports 81 100000 as the
business of only four of her concerns.
Two years ago sixty-two men signed
petition for license election in order
to s'get saloons and reduce taxes" as
some of the advocates stated. Investi-
CATION showed over 80 of them had
never paid one cent of taXes and the
whole of them paid but two per cent
of the city's tax. The taxpayers know
that saloons increase taxes.
Hon. John F. Baker, an attorney of
Madison and formerly assemblymsn
from Jackson county, gave one of the
most convincing argumentative talks
against the saloon which has been
given in Baraboo since the campaign
began.
He explained how the saloon is in
existence under the law because it has
been provided by law that the goods
can be sold under certain restrictions.
"You can put them out of business
whenever you see fit," he said. "You
can't with our city council" promptly
spoke up Mr.. Cheek. Much laugh
ter.)
The speaker considered the many
reasons why a saloon could be of any
value to a community: moral, edu-
cational, financial, and mentioned
that a certain lawyer in arguing before
the committee considering the county
option law at Madison said that where
| there were saloons there were fewer
cases of wife beating. Mr.. Baker then
told of the investigation of divorces
which Judge E. Ray Stevens has been
making. Judge Stevens has found
that there were 10000 divorces granted
in the United States last year, which
is ten per cent of all the marriages.
OF these 10000 two out of every three
gave as their reasons for separation,
drunkenness, cruelty, or other reasons
directly due to drinking.
In speaking of the blind pigs the
speaker asked, "Who says that if you
put out the saloons there will be blind
pigs?' "The aldermen" CALCULATED
some one in the audience. (Laugh-
Jer.)
Mr.. Baker referred to Evansville as
the town which graduates more pupils
from its high school than any other
town in the state of the same size.