The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-20
Business. Not Named Among
City's Industries by Chambel
of Commerce
Dry Communities
More Prosperous
Rev. DR.. Mcdaniel on Economic
Aspects ofProhibition Makes
Telling Points Against
Liquor Arguments

DR. George W. Mcdaniel at the First
Baptist church last night discussed be-
fore his cation the question OF
THE Economic Aspects of Prohibi-
ton, White part of the speech was
taken up with statistical statements,
the aua4&nce followed the argument
closely. Mr. Mcdaniel made many
telling points against the contention OF
the opponents Of statewide to the
effect that prohibition is economically
harmful to a state.
At one point in his sermon the
speaker read from the newly publish
ed monthly Richmond" showing that
while the Chamber of Commerce men
toned practically all the other large
industries of the city no mention was
made of the liquor business, upon
which the liquor advocates contend
the prosperity Of the town depends
He said;
Supposed Aid to Business.
THE real strength of the liquor
traffic liz in it's supposed aid to BUSH
ness. Liquor dealers are good renters
and free spenders. They carry large
bank accounts and are influential fac
tors in the business life OF the city.
Business becomes a web into which
bankers, merchants. physicians, law
yer, saloon-keepers, ct ais, are inter
woven. 1t Is contended that to dis
continue the license system would be
to destroy the commercial web. I
propose to show that it will strengthen
the web to remove this faulty thread.
States where prohibition obtains are
more prosperous than similar States
under the license system
Compare Maine and Massachusetts,.
From 1850 to 1909 the Indebtedness al
Massachusetts increased $40 per capi-
Ia and the Indebtedness OF Maine de-
creased $40 per capita. The wealth
of the State of Maine for that period
stood so per cent in advance Of that
Of Massachusetts. For twenty years
preceding 1900 the average wage
earners' wages in Maine increased
$500 more than they did in Massa-
chusetts. The percentage of houses
n Maine owned by occupants is 81
per cent, while IN Massachusetts 1t Ia
only As.
"Or, you may compare ali the IL
cense with all the no license cities In
Massachusetts and you will see that
the saloon Is an expense, The no-ii-
cense cities spent rs per cent more
for streets, 4 per cent more for edu-
cation, and grew IS per cent more in
taxable property, ~ per cent more in
industry and 80 per cent more In
. license cities. Purely from an eco
nomic viewpoint. no license is desir-
able.
Kansas and Missouri.
Compare dry Kansas and wet Mis-
souri, They are adjoining States and
I think comparison between them
is more fair and instructive than my
friend. Mr.. Cabelfs, comparison with
, distant Pennsylvania. Missouri is
/ much older and has nearly double the
population of Kansas. She has more
/ natural resources. such as mineral de-
J posts forests. richer soil. larger rain
. fall and nearer markets. Notwith-
standing ali these. the following sta
ttstics show the economic ADVANTAGES
, OF prohibition.
Assessed valuation of Kansas is
} s2,T50. 900, 600.
Assessed valuation OF Missouri Ia
> $3.50, 900, 600
Assessed valuation OF Kansas per
capita is si.75o.
Assessed valuation of Missouri per
; capital Ia $500.
I'm Kansas the bank deposits
, amount TO over s10o per capita.
; I'm Missouri the bank deposits
! amount to only $40 per capital
In Kansas common labor gets STA
( per week.
: In Missouri common labor gets S.
per week.
In Kansas the per capita consump-
ton of liquor is s1.25s
I'm Missouri the per capita con-
sumption of liquor Is $4,000.
Missouri has been spending her
money in saloons while Kansas has
been putting her money in banks, In
creasing her deposits In ten years
from one hundred million to two
hundred and twenty million dollars.
kansas has also decreased her State
11ht ~ otn nth a
J Of her people own their own homes
han In any other State in the Union
The exclamation, Poor. bleeding
Kansas is irony. She is to be con-
graduated. not commiserated.
Listen to the tale Of two cities. They
: ire only one mile apart One is dry
t and the other is wet. One is Fargo,
IN. D., and the other Is Moorhead.
e Mimi
/, The dry town had one mile Of
! street pavement for each 676 popu-
lation: one mile OF water main for
, each 27o population one mile or
sewers for each 33S population; city
debt, $3.50 per capita: ratio OF city
!, debt to assessed valuation. rs per
! cent; city tax rate. 1898 mills, and
J. 10 saloons for ter years.
THE wet town had one mile OF
q street pavement for each s,s62 popu-
Eiation; one mile of water main for
! each 7o2 population: one mile Of
sewers for each S5S population. city
{ iebt $4479 per capita: ratio OF city
: debt to assessed valuation. eos per
Q cent; city tax rate, 2l,s3 mills. and
( forty-six licensed saloons.
I LIQUOR Business Financial Burden.
Coming TO Virginia. Il n demon.
/ strable that the liquor business v Z
financial burden. Referring 70 tbs -
. port OF the state Board OF Charities
land Correctton for 1914, ana chArg1m9
: shs saloon with ita share. - have ~