El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-07
Both Sides of Prohibition
CONTRIBUTED BY ]. L. CAMPBELL.

"29. If a ranch was valued at
100000, what would be the in
crease In assessed valuation? Fifty
five thousand dollars, bringing the
total to $4,000.
80 If the property valuation
were not raised, would the tax rate
be increased? The tax rate would
have to be increased from 4 cents
TO approximately 61-5 cents on
the 500 valuation.
81 What would be the percent
Of this increase? Fifty-five per-
cent
32. If a farmer pays IS to the
general revenue tax fund as a tax
on his farm. how much would
he have TO pay If statewide prohi-
bition went into effect? Twelve
dollars and forty cents
S3. What would be the exact
Increase? Four dollars and forty
cents on each $4,000. OF SIS percent
increase on all real and personal
property owned by him
"a. If the. average county tax
in Texas is now 42k cents on the
800, how much would the adop-
ton OF statewide prohibition in
crease this tax? From an average
of 421z cents on the 500 vaIua ton
to about a cents on the 800 valu-
atfon, or an increase of IL cents
on each 500 valuation
S5- What would be the effect on
immigration if statewide prohibit
ton were adopted? If Texas is
satisfied with drawing all its immi-
grafton from prohibition states. II
Of
eight Of these states If. how
ever. it wants to draw immigrant ton
from the 3S states which have
either repudiated or opposed state
wide prohibition. it would have
tremendous effect.
"36. Why is this SOP THIRTY
eight Of the As states are now un-
der the local option and regula-
ton system and the homesteaders
and investors come mainly from
these states which are not under
statewide prohibition. Naturally
the immigration from these SO
states will prefer the same liberty
and nearly the same laws as exist
ed in the states from which they
came. If they have been accus-
toned all their lives to use GER
tain liquids for food. refreshment
and stimulation they will not
come to a state where these liquids
are denied.
"37. What effect will statewide
prohibition have upon the rice in
dustry Of Texas? Rice is the third
largest industry in the state Brew
cries outside of the state which
ship beer. TO Texas use about g.
100000 pounds of rice in their
Texas trade, and this amount they
buy principally in Texas. It is
estimated that the loss resulting
from the closing OF the Texas
breweries would depress the rice
growing industry to such an ex-
tent that farms would decline in
value IS per acre, thereby causing
a loss to the Texas rice farmers Of
sI325,000. and might ultimately by
this great reduction withdraw
from rice cultivation and place in
competition with grazing, cotton,
sugar and corn lands hundreds Of
thousands of acres, thereby indf-
rectly affecting the entire farming
values Of the whole state
'3S. What is the estimated value
of real estate which will be made
vacant by statewide prohibition?
Thirty million dollars, exclusive
of the thousands of residences now
occupied by employees Of breweries
and retail dealers.
"39. VIII these vacant houses at
feet anyone besides the real estate
owners? Yes. The lumber dealer,
the painter, the hardware dealer,
the furniture dealer, the carpenter,
the plumber, the roofer. the brick
layer. the plasterer, the paper
hanger, the gas filter, the cleo
trician. all will suffer, as 1t will
stop the building of new houses
until occupants have been found
for those made vacant. having the
same effect that the throwing out
of employment of thousands of
men now engaged in the liquor
business will have upon all classes
of organized labor, where they
will be found as competitors when
their own occupation is destroyed.
40. What revenue would be
taken from the available school
fund of the state? s173,37475
annually"
Before considering the revenue. let
lie say that, unlike the liquor traffic