The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-08-02
palladium Specially


Indianapolis. Aug. :.-When the
American Issue, the official organ of
the Anti-Saloon league comes out on
Wednesday of this week 1t will con-
tain an article prepared for the pur-
pose of showing that the voting out
of saloons from counties in the state
under the county option law has not
had the effect of increasing township
taxes, but that, on the other hand, 1t
has caused a reduction of township
taxes in most instances. The article
was prepared by E. S. Shumaker.
state superintendent of the Anti-Sa-
loon league. In part, the article is as
follows:
In preceding issues of the Ameri-
can Issue we have published articles
on the tax rates for Indiana counties
and cities for the years 1908 and 1909
in order to show that the removal of
saloons through Indiana county option
lew has not caused an increase In tax
rates but rather has had tendency
to decrease the same. We have shown
conclusively that where tax rates have
been increased they have been in
creased for other reasons than for the
absence of saloons and that there has
been a greater proportion Of increase
in wet counties and cities than in
cities and counties which have voted
out their saloons.
In this article we present to our
readers a comparison of township tax
| rates, in wet and dry counties, for the
years 1908 and 1909, the same being
paid in 1909 and 1910, respectively.
Again we shall be able to show that
the removal of saloons from SO many
Indiana counties has not been follow
ed by an increase in tax rates, where
| tax rates have been increased, because
Of the absence of the saloon. On the
other hand, we will again be able to
| show that the tendency is to increase
| tax rates more rapidly in townships in
| wet counties than in townships which
exist in dry counties. However, 1t
must be remarked that the 1909 town
ship tax rates show a pretty general
| increase all over the state. This is
| largely due to the fact that the tax
rates for 1908, which were paid In
1909, were fixed by trustees whose
terms of office were expiring. While
it ought not to be so, yet 1t does seem
to be fact that often retiring trus-
tees reduce the levies for every cause
as much as they can in order to
leave a record for economy. This re-
suits in a general depletion Of the
townships treasures and the incom-
ing trustee has to increase the rates
on nearly every item during his first
year in office This was true in 1908.
The retiring trustee in great ma
jority of Indiana counties reduced
their levies and in 1909 the new trus.
tees had to increase the same in or
der to have sufficient funds to meet
township needs. On this account
there is a general increase In town
ship rates in both wet and dry coun.
ties in 1909 over that of 1908.
However, it must be remarked that
the only fund that can be affected by
the removal OF the saloon Is the tti'
ition fund out of which our teachers
are paid their salaries and the rum.
ing expenses of our schools are met
No other rate could possibly be affect
ed unless it would be the township
poor relief, which ought to be reduc
ed by the absence of saloons
The article then presents table
showing the number OF townships In
each county that have increased, de-
creased or left unchanged their tar
rates in 1909, the table being divided
into two sections, one showing the
| wet counties and the other the dry
counties. Following the tables the
article says:
THE wet counties Of the state com