The Washington times., 1912-05-15

consequently reduce the public revenue
thus creating a deficiency which would
have to be met by levying heavier bur-
dens Of taxation ' upon properly mont snT, 70
absolute prohibition which could not be
enforced because II has never been COM
pletely enforced In any community
so far as concerns the frst arsu.
ment, that the number OF seloons IN
the District would be reduced py tne
bill, this seems potent reason IN layor
Of the enactment OF the law. rather
opinion in all civilized communities that
saloons have an evil and depravinE IN
fiuence upon the moral sentiment OF the
public, and this opinion is SUPPORTED by
the testimony Of all sociologiDts and
confirmed by the judgments OF all the
courts, from the highest to the loWes.,
as is evidenced by their decisions IN
GaRRi minimize these evils as a Just and
proper exercise Of the police power IN
herent in all governments III tney sre
of evil tendencies, then true patrlousnn
and craftsmanship should favor the re-
duction Of their number and thus
minimize their evil influences
Facts Lacking, He Says.
"As regards the argument that the
pending legislation would reduce the
revenues of the District and force the
necessity of having to meet the de-
ficiency by taxation on property, the
facts do not seem to support the con
tention. They undoubtedly favor the
converse OF the proposition.
SpHm n}na5yt ytha of the the toai
of the District for the current year
amount to s7,S53,3l722. of which S4I,so.
or about one-nin eteenth Of the whole, Is
dealers, wholesale and retail. There
are at present 125 wholesale liquor
denlers In the District paying a license
tax Of $500 each per s,a saa
ers paying a license tax of $500, produc-
ing a revenue of S4l0,4 making a total
of revenue from this source of $4''soo.
Greater Revenue.
'If the pending measure should be-
come a law during the present session
of Congress, the probabilities are very
great that its provisions would yield a
much larger sum than this. 1t provides
| that the fee for wholesale dealers up
annum, and 1t cannot be reasonably ex-
pected that the number of these deal
| ers will by that date be any less Q2o).
than they are now; and at this rate up
| to that time the revenue from whole
sale dealers would doubtless be main
! tained at s62,50O per annum. instead of
1880. as at the present time. After
November !, 1914, the proposed measure
! fixes the tax upon wholesale dealers at
$500 per annum, and II the number
should remain the same as now. 125,
which Is quite improbable, the revenue
| then derived from wholesale dealers will
| be $4,000.
"And the pending bill fixes the H.
cense fee to be paid by retail dealers
prior to November. 1914. at 1000 per
annum, and requires a gradual reduce
| ton in their number until they shall
| be reduced to 800 by that date. l think
1t may be safely calculated that the
In "a hn~ ~ 1An nlA- ~ nfrxrA ~,
the first day OF November. 1914. will
likely be about cne-half the difference
between the present number and the
number to which the reduction Is re-
quired to be made by that time; and
this will make a fair estimate of
about 407 such retail dealers up until
November 1, 1914. and at $1,000 each
600. ' "
After November !, 1914, the new
law, II enacted. would Ak the fee to
be paid by. retail. dealers at $500
and limits the number at 800 saloons.
the District .of $4,000. y
! $50 far as the question of revenue
is concerned, It seems that the arRu-
ment is largely in favor OF the new
measure. for II 1t becomes a law at
the present session of Congress 1t
annual revenue prior TO November !.
1914. of S509.00 from both classes OF
dealers. as against $447,9o under the
lpresert law; and after November l.
1914. II may be safely relied upon to
yield an annual revenue of at least
$670,00O. and perhaps more,
Not Tenable.
"Other arguments which have been
advanced against the pending bill are
scarcely less tenable than this. 1t is
a begging the question to call the
m
clearly is not, and the impartial In
Vestigator must take due care lest hi
be misled and prejudiced against II
iby any such unwarranted charge. But
because prohibition laws have not
been strictly enforced in some Other
communities where they have beer
adopted, constitutes no valid reason
why this proposed law to regulate tht
liquor traffic could not be reasonably
well enforced in the District of Co
lumbia. If there was any merit ir
this contention 1t would inevitably
lead to the repcal of all criminal laws
because they do fail to absolutely pre-
vent the preparation of the crime:
at which thew are aimed, and tht
. criminal would walk abroad untram
meled bv any restrictions whatever;
But we must not forget that thu
} same conditions do not exist here as II
some other communities where 1t II
claimed that drastic laws prohibiting o.
regulating the liquor traffic have beer
failures because not successfully en-
forced. Here there Is no opportunit!
for the able and astute lawyer to plcl
naws. raise technical questions. and at
tack the constitutionality of the statut
of municipal ordinance. which neve
fails to encourage the violation of tn
law; but in the District of Columbii
the Cong IS is supreme, and the actioi
OF the proposed Excise Board Is mad
conclusive, and no court can control II
mo law can be successfully enforced
unless the enlightened public sentimen
of the community supports 1t. WtthOn
such moral support the courts are pow
r erless. But ! am not on who Is pre-
pared to concede that the moral senti
a ment OF the people Of this city the Capi
!. tai Of this great Nation cannot be re
I lied upon to give the necessary mora
support to the enforcement of Law
r which has so many beneficent feature
= for the protection of society as has tn
> bill under consideration. With an hon
4 est and diligent Excise Board, as con
templated by the bill, aided and as
o sisted by an efficient police force a
: : this city is reputed to have, this argu
- ment can have no force whatever.
e Overlooked Feature.
= ITO dwell upon all the salutary point
: of the pending excise bill would use
|