Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-12
DRY TOWNS SAVE MONEY FOR
rAxpAYERs, SAYS STATE
ACCOUNTANT.
cox TELLS OF CONDITIONS
IN IOWA CITIES HE VISITS
City Debts Less in Municipalities
Where There Are No saIoons-No
Exceptions TO This Rule in Iowa
Cox Cites Examples in Support Of
His Statements.

Des Moines, Dec. 12.-After having
made examinations Of towns in Iowa
that have not saloons. NJ. L. Cox, state
municipal examiner, declares the saloon
is a curse to any city, Mr.. Cox was
asked for statement by the Citizens
League Of Des Moines, which is maxi
ing fight against the liquor interests
Mr.. Cox declares that a comparison
of two towns Of about equal size. one
of which has two saloons for every
1000 people, and the other no saloons
at all, shows that the town without
saloons is operated at a smaller ex-
pense, its indebtedness is less, it's side
walk and buildings in better condi-
ton, the bankers and merchants better
satisfied and that there was almost no
use of a police force.
The following is Mr. Cox's signed
statement as presented to the Citizens
league:
Answering your request for a state
ment as to the financial condition of
the different cities Of Iowa, making
comparison Of those which desire
revenue from the saloon business with
cities which have no SALOONS, will say
that after completing the examination
of all the cities of the state OF Iowa
for the second time under the direc-
ton OF the auditor of state) I have
discovered that a saloon revenue is not
necessary for a city's maintenance. In
stead, have found. as stated to you
before, that from financial standpoint,
saloons are a menace and hindrance to
the welfare of any city. Having formed
h S int Nj nc
OF cities of near the same population
and surroundings, one with, and the
other without saloons, 1 found that
without exception, the city with
out saloons was in the better finan-
cial condition. After discovering that
this condition existed I undertook to
find out the reason for it.
Two cas.s Cited.
For example. after examining the
accounts of a certain city which had
two saloons to each 1000 inhabitants.
l found its Indebtedness SO great that
it exceeded the legal limit, which is
based upon 25 per cent of the taxable
value Of the property, except for the
buying Of municipal plants. it's bonds
couldn't be sold in the markets at less
than per cent It maintained a uni
formed police which each day marched,
or sometimes dragged to the Jail It's
regular number of DRINKS to be kept
over night and brought up next morn
ing before the police court. and in the
majority OF cases the anc imposed was
paid by a Jail sentence at the city's
expense. The books OF this city were
poorly kept and in mixed condition,
and the mayor refused to sign the rec
ord Of the council proceedings when I
asked him to do so.
My next examination was a city Of
the size and surroundings as the above.
there had been no saloons for years.
found better sidewalks. better and
more paved streets. an indebtedness
about one-fourth the amount Of the
former city. besides owing its own
water plant, valued at 100000: the po-
lice force consisted Of day and
night marshal. with one arrest during
my stay Of two weeks in the city.
The above examples are not isolated
for the purpose of making an exclu-
sive comparison, for continued my
investigation thruout the state with
like results and were I justified in
naming the different cities and making
public statement there would be no
foundation for the claim made in the
Register and Leader Of Nov. q, that
the revenue derived from the saloons
was beneficial to the interests of city
More Saloons, More Dsbts.
Il will state further, that there are
two or three cities in Iowa which have
a larger debt than Des Moines, and
each of these cities has more saloons
than Des Moines. About the time Of
the closing Of saloons in Muscatine
visited that city. My attention was
called to the vacant buildings caused
by the closing down Of the saloon busi-
ness. and I will admit that the old
town did look bad, for the breweries
had placarded the windows Of these
buildings. calling attention to the de-
plorable condition Of things.
1.-TWO years from this time 1 again
made an examination Of the accounts
of the above city. found every one
of those empty buildings occupied by
some legitimate business. new business
blocks had been erected. one banking
interest had already erected n very
commodious cement structure and an
other had it's foundation started. A
business man told me conditions were
better as the laboring people werc able
to pay him for what they bought. I
asked one of the city officials as to
what he thought of the change, and he
said he had been converted to the
change as he was an officers in one OF