La Junta tribune., 1911-03-04
Do Saloons Lessen Tax Burden.

] increased the tax assessment In La
Junta about five mills. Some peo-
pie are complaining loudly about the
increase The first thing TO be said
I in reply TO this complaint is that the
saloon question is a moral issue and
is not 10 be decided on finan.
/ cial basis. No evil is 10 be tolerat.
ed, much less sanctioned, because II
may pay in dollars and cents. Let us
not loose sight OF this fact.
Is It a profitable thing for the
community as a whole TO collect
/ part OF its revenue In this way, Ii
censed saloons would take out of the
/ legitimate channels OF trade not less
than 5000. 900 for which they would r.
turn absolutely nothing OF yalUe. For
the privilege OF mulcting the com
munity Of this snug little sum the
I saloons are offering 10 make con.
I tributlon of 5000 to the expenses OF
1 the city This means that under thu
I license system We pay s2j to the
saloons in order to collect 81 IN
taxes Does this look like good
business proposition? 1t would seen
to ease the burden Of taxation on the
Individual property owner, but will II
do 1t in the long run?
/ Amy thing that means financial
loss 10 the community must in tho
long run mean a loss to every mem
I Der OF that community. Shut ou,
{ the saloons, stop mp the leaky joint
and let this money flow into the L.
gitimate channels OF trade and ".
can we'll afford 70 pay a little higher
rate OF taxation The history OF othr-
communities is that after they hay
adjusted themselves 10 the dry r.
g.me taxes are lower than they wera
under license.
One can see at a glance how thia
would usc-ssIriIy follow. Police ez
pensas are reduced more none
spent for the helpful things Of III.
Increases business property value
arr increased, and as a result tn
rate Of taxation decreases.
Let Us look at the matter from
another angle. II We should he foo
lsh enough to dealde on the salool
method Of collecting a part OF on.
city revenue. who would spend tla
81 out Of which the 81 OF tax woull
be IcductHds 4 chance dollar w0u
be spent by trausicuis. Some p-.
pie would have us believe that ever
time train stopped at La Jun
there would b. sraud stampede i.-
the lhirst parIors 90 Front street, De-
the ayeraE. travelling public cor
posed OF booze fighters II lt wsra
. true that any considerable part .s
this money came from the travel.1-
public would ID be exactly the ron.
est and neighborly thinF TO permit
the saloons 10 lie ce them on "a tnur
per cent lasis2
I Some OF this money would b. prnt
I by the Wsll.to-do citizens. bg his
would only be small part ui the
money collected by the saloous The
well-to-do citizen is poor patron of
the saloon. for no man ever E1r rich
by spending his money for hgluF or
his time In the saloon. The bulk
OF the saloons revenue uomrs rom
the laboring man, What d0s This
meaH7 II means less money 0u n.
ull Of the merchant and The safety
deposit vaults OF the banker 10 means
that some Of these mems familes will
be poorly clothed and undsrf.t II
means that some women vii. have
to take in Washing 70 help support
the family
Property owners Of Ia JuUtl are
you willing to tighten your ta1ne y
imposing them on the weak and the
poor Are you that kind OF O IA,
dodg'rf DO you want 10 faru out
the taxes Of the community ua
basis q twenty-five TO ouet
Money derived from the llqu0r 1usi.
aoss Is blood money. Il rrpr uts
the ufns blood OF the msu alau Il
ruins ig represents the blood Of
the young woman whose Kira. is
sacrificed to support the bruIarf. the
annex - the saloon, Il rspfasants
the blood Of the poor wife Who sIayes
her life out to support ths gamny
while the husband spends hs line
aud money in the saloon, Il rypre
sents the llfc's blood OF the poor,
emaeiated children whose van aces
tell th" siosy Of drunsard's home.
1t is blood money. "wo. 10 him