The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-11
Perhaps Most Drastic Legis-
Iation That Liquor People
Have Ever Been Called Up
on to Face.
TRAFFIC OECADENcE
Is CLEARLY SHOWN
As a Result of Driving Out
Hordes of Saloons the State
Has Lost Considerable Of
Its Revenue.

Columbus, Ohio. March 1.-The o-
markable stringency of the regulative
liquor law passed by the general as
sembly within the past few days has
escaped general attention, because OF
the hurried manner In which 1t was
discussed, amended, changed and then
passed. 1t is, perhaps the most drastic
legislation that the persons engaged in
the liquor traffic have ever been call
ed upon to face. To their credit 1t
may be said that they themselves pro-
posed most of these restrictions as an
evidence OF their honesty Of purpose In
ridding the traffic Of dts undesirable e.
ements.
An Effective Weapon.
Yet through this very action they
have changed the sphere of influence OF
the Anti-Saloon League. During the
IA Or Is years of its existence that
body has worked to secure negative re-
suits, SO to speak. ALI Of It's efforts
have been toward driving the saloon
out of existence The new law gives
1t effective weapons that 1t can use In
driving individuals out Of business.
When the new statute IL taken with the
others passed during the past five
years. it will be found that the traffic.
even in the most liberal communities.
has been exposed to attacks and rem
dered vulnerable ut almo6e every
point.
The decadence of the traffic IN Tho
state under the local option laws pasB-
ed by the last general assembly 10
clearly shown by the figures issued to-
day by Auditor OF State Ed NJ. FulMng-
ton When the Akin law, imposing
a tax of 1000 upon retail Dealers was
enacted in 1906, 1t drove almost exactly
30 per cent of the saloons them In e1-
istence. to the wall. Since then So
counties have voted out the sale Of hq-
uor, and in many cities and villages
advantage has been taken OF the Jones
residential local option law.
Many Were Forced Out.
This has caused steady derease in
the number of places, where intoxicat-
ing beverages were sold. No less than
l 500 saloons and restaurants where
liquors were sold, closed their doors
since January, 1908. In all Ohio
there are now ony 1909 places where
the traffic is authorized.
In that month the record showed
that there were 9.41S saloons In the
state These paid for the privilege Of
doing business, $4,000. .659.41. OF this
amount the state got 81. .3S1 O6O.22. the
balance being kept by the counties
municipalities and townships where II
was collected.
The returns for January, 1909, show
as stated previously, that the total
| number Of saloons is 1903, and that
the total taxes collected amount t1
So. AIS, ,6O3. 20. or a net loss Of 81 ,182,.
O55.71 The states portions for thia
year. is 81 ,O25. 1854. a net loss d
$685.; ;644.7S, The minor subdivisions
get only s., o,3392. 1886. falling off ol
1897, ,41O93. In addition tho state wal
forced to refund to 80 counties $16..
24O5o, It's portion OF taxes collected
and returned to dealers who were fore
ed out OF business by dry elections
This means that these counties gave ar
amount representing over double thi.
amount, or to be exact, seven tenths ol
the whole refunder.
| The bulk Of the taxes are collected
In the five large counties Of the state
Cuyahoga. Hamilton, Lucas. FRANKLIN
and Montgomery.