Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-12-02
SALOONS NOT WEALTH PRODUC-
ERS.

The writer, after nearly fifty years
spent alternately in wet and dry
communities cannot agree with the
proposition that saloons aid in the
material development of a commun-
ity. He cannot see the logic of the
makes aggregate gain. He has seen
several instances where the apparent
gain of business under saloons
proved to be a distinct loss. One
case in particular impressed him. In
Iowa is at present what is practically
county option. Four counties, Buena
Vista, Pocahontas, Calhoun and Sac,
corner. At one time Calhoun went
wet" while the other three went
"dry" The town of Fonda is in the
corner of Calhoun county and was
practically surrounded on the west
and north with no license territory.
1t had saloons. All summer long
rumors came to the towns in the
other three counties how Fonda was
getting all the trade that should go
to the towns in the other counties.
Along about the last of October
there came to be rumors of business
failures in Fonda and before the first
of March there were more failures
in Fonda than in all the towns in the
three dry counties. A Fonda man
happened into the writer's office and
was asked why this was so. The
cash stores got all the money" was
the reply. The cash stores?" 'Yes,
the saloons. During the summer
Fonda drew the trade of the drink
ing farmers for miles around They
spent their creamery checks and egg
money with the saloons and got their
groceries charged. When fall came
the merchants discovered that the
saloons had not only taken the ready
money, but in many instances had
got mortgages on the farmers crop"
Another more striking case in
which it is clearly shown that the
saloons are not the determining
cause of the growth or lack of
growth of a city is that of Moor
head, Mimi, and Fargo, N. d. Sep
arated only by the Red river, they
were practically the same size in the
early eighties when the saloons were
banished from Fargo. 1t was at once
proclaimed by the advocates of sa-
looms that Fargo had signed her
death warrant. However, the con-
tinued to grow and is today the most
important city in North Dakota, with
a population of $4,000, while Moore
head has only population of 4,S00.
When the land upon which the
Northern Pacific yards in Fargo were
located became so close into the
heart of the city that it was neces-
sary to move them, did they go over
to Moorehead? Not at all. They
went four miles out of Moorhead
upon the prairie, where they plated
their own town, far away from Moor
heads saloons. This shows very
plainly that saloons are not an in
ducement to a railroad company to
establish payroll in a town.
One thing, however is just as true
as that saloons will not build a town.
That is that excluding them will not
build one. Towns do not spring up
without cause. nor do they decay
without a reason. There have been
suburban towns built up without
poor people-fashionab residence
districts adjoining big cities-but
they have been built by the big cities,
not of their own substance. Wealthy
people build up town only as they
put their money into enterprises
which will develop the wealth-pro-
ducing resources of the community
Permanent upbuilding must be
largely on wealth produced within
the community The growth on
wealth produced elsewhere is like
the strength that comes from any
other stimulant; the reaction will be
disastrous unless followed by build
ing up on normal lines.
The restricted districts" as real
estate men refer to additions which
bar the poor man and his home, can
only survive when there is some part
of the city which is build upon home
produced wealth. Outside wealth is
good and is needed to build any city,
but its best use is in producing more
wealth and in providing for payroll
which will fill the city with prosper
GUS workmen.