Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-03
A PACIFIC COAST DRY" TOWN
That Appreciates the Difference In 1t
Conditions

|
Conditions.
It is interesting. in view of the fact
that DR. Lyman Abbott has been
placed on the side of anti-prohibi-
| ton to note that writer in his mag
azine. The Outlook, gives valuable evil
dence in favor of no-license- w. d.
TIulburt, the Pacific Coast writer for
the Outlook Magazine says in an arti-
| Gle on Experiences Of a dry" town in
| July Outlook:
1.-THE cities of the Pacific Coast con-
tinue to furnish picturesque Incidents
| in municipal history. Everett, Wash
| ington. a town of $4,000 people, voted
| itself dry at the November elections
after an unusually hard fought cam
paign Everett is said to be the larg-
est town west of Lincoln, Nebraska to
take such action and as it is a seaport
and manufacturing point. there was a
strong element which desired to retain
the saloons. 1t was freely predicted
that business would suffer and that
bank deposits would decrease. especi-
ally as a large number of saloon keep
ers left town and took their money
with them. But instead the deposits
showed decided increase in the first
two months after the saloons closed
and a much larger increase a little H.
ter. The records of the police depart
ment for the same period are very in
teresting In December 1910, the last
month under license, the number of ar
rests for drunkenness was S5. In jan
uary 1t was exactly the same, which
had been accounted for by the fact
that the saloons had sold off their
stocks at very low prices and their
patrons had laid in supplies for several
weeks. In February the arrests for
drunkenness were only 10 and since
then Everett has been so orderly and
the Jail so nearly empty that it has
been found practicable to reduce the
police force by more than one third
The city treasury, however. was even
eInptier than the Jail. The net income
for 1910 from saloon licenses. after de-
Quoting a certain percentage which
went TO the state had been about $685.
coo This was entirely cut off for 1911
and the city was also obliged to re-
fund to the saloonkeepers about S13,-
600 on unexpired licenses in force when
the prohibition law took effect.
Everett therefore found herself face
to face with a loss for the present
year of a little over two dollars for
every man. woman and child in town
and the worst of it was that she was
already pressed for money. Being a
young city she had been obliged to
spend large sums on her streets and
other necessary improvements and in
consequence her property tax was up
to the eighteenth limit imposed by the
city charter. while her Indebtedness
was more than the law permitted On
the other hand it had been thought
that the worst of her troubles were
over. for her debts were being SLOWLY
diminished and her assessed valuation
was rapidly rising. If the immediate
emergency could be met. the future
was not discoura ging. The City Coun-
eli therefore decided that rigid eeono-
my must be the order of the day. and
also of the night and much to the edi
fieation of rival towns. it ordered the
street lights extinguished and the
street cleaning stopped. The press
took up ths tale and horrible stories
OF EVerett's darkness and dirtiness
spread from Puget Sound to Massa
chusetts Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
AS matter of fact the lights were
company believed that some way out
OF the dilemma could be found and it
took a chance on being able to collect
us bills. The STRENGTHENING was
stopped for time but only temporar-
lily and the consequences We're not as
serious as they would have been in a
larger town.
Following this spasm of thrift il
g-rleg
FUNDS by a so-called 'occupati ton tax
measure which was not prohibited by
the charter or the laws, and anv
further increase in the property tax
would nave been. All wage earners
We're 10 be assessed one days nav
owners Of bootblack stands. PAINTERS
and paper hangers were to give $40
each; ministers of the Gospel. $40. doe
tors lawyers and architects $50
plumbers, 500; merchants of tho first
class, $500; banks of the first class
5000; gas companies, water comnanies,
electric light companies and railways
$1,000; and others similar amounts
The plan met with strenuous onnosi-
ton, partly because of the universal
antlpathy 70 fresh taxes and part1y he
cause 1t was feared it might frirhten
away new industries Nevertheless Il
would almost certainly have been
adopted with some amendments II
Everett had not suddenly determined
upon a popular subscription. The Bnsi-
ness Mems Association took nm tho
matter and in three days over $40 900
was raised. all necessity of a sneciar
TAX was averted. and better still The
movement was accompanied by such
an -outburst of public spirit and civic
enthusiasm, as is seldom experienced
by any city. The individual subscrip-