The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-04-11
IS YEARS WITHOUT SALOONS
LARGEST CITY IN IOWA HAS KEPT
THEM OUT.
Ten Times Have Efforts Been Made
to Introduce Them and Each
Time Defeated.

Mason City, April 9.-Special: Two
dollars and sixty-seyen cents is the
yearly per capita drink bill of resi-
dents of Mason City, and one out of
every twenty-five of its inhabitants
has been arrested for drunkenness.
Mason City is the largest city in Iowa
which has been able, through public
sentiment to keep the open saloon
from among its business institutions.
For thirty-five years the saloon has
been voted down and out. Probably
ten times this thirty-tive year period
there have been endeavors to intro
duce the high license system, but
every time 1t has meet with defeat.
Twice enough signatures were secur-
ed to introduce the saloon but the
business and professional men at once
became active and enough withdraw
ais were secured to defeat the pro-
ject.
The charge is made, possibly with
truth, that Mason City has as many
DRINKS as any saloon city of its size
in Iowa. The report for the year
which just has been issued by the
chief of police shows that they have
been a total of 635 arrest during the
year, and out of this number 439 were
for intoxication and 40 for bootleggng.
1t has cost $S,049.65 to police the city,
which is $12.67 for every arrest made.
With reference to bOOtleggerS
there were thirty-siX convictions. Ac,
cording to the holdings of legal au-
thorities each place where this illegal
sale of liquor was conducted makes
the place subject to the mulct tax OF
5000 and this has been levied for ane
quarter against each of these proper
ties and without question, will be col
lected.
According to the opinion of the JUS
tees of the peace, of this city, and
they are each believers of the no
saloon principle. during the last year
5000 cases of beer were shipped into
this city and consumed here. No one
in the city has better opportunities to
Judge than these men. These figures
have been concurred in by express
companies interested in these ship.
ments. This would mean an expendi-
ture of $16,750, and it Is admitted
that this money goes out of the state.
Then there are nine drug stores, but
some of the druggists do not hold per
mits. Those who do are abiding as
closely as possible to the require
ments of the law. 1t is safe to say
that the drink bill of Mason City does
not exceed $4,000 for the fiscal year.
This city has 1910 population OF H.
230 and that would bring the per
capita drink bill at $2.67 Mason
City is the center for large rural
population and even residents OF sub
urban towns get their goods" through
the express companies OF this city.
Mason City has prospered without
the saloon; that is accepted by every.
one. Two years ago it stood second
among the cities of Iowa in the per
cent of population gain, and 1t il
claimed the tonnage OF products man
ufaCtured in the city and shipped out
exceeds that OF any city in Iowa re-
CARELESS of size. The general claim
OiC' upOli
ing cities and railroad centers could
not exist without saloons, is not true
in local application.
Mason City owns itS water works
system, all the principal streets are
paved or under contract to be; it
maintains seven public schools, all in
splendid buildings, with seventy-four
teachers. One-half the citizens
of Mason City are members of chuch-
es, and all religious denominations
have large church buildings with good
congregations and no trouble in de-
fraying expenses.
For two years there has bee no de.
sire expressed to change the seeming
settled policy OF the city on the liquor
question.