The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-10-08
WAR is DEVASTATING EUROPE
SALOONS ARE OEvASTAT-
ING COLORADO
TRAFFIC COSTS TAXPAYERS MIL
LIONS.
Strike Districts Greatly Benefited by
Closing OF Sa!oons.-Federai o.
ficers Plead for Dry Colorado. A

! Colorado. While war is devastating
/ Europe. the liquor traffic has been
/ PLAYING havoc with the Centennial
State The special session of the leg
| isiature recently appropriated the
sum OF ONE MILLION dollars TO pay
! the expenses OF the state militia for
services in the strike districts. The
saloons in coal fields We're solely re-
spOnsiblc for the destruction of hun
Ireds of thousands OF dollars worth
Of property. and FOR the great loss of
life. Here is the proof. II is an eN-
tract from the report OF the suhcom-
mitee OF the Congr" "ssional Committee
IN Mines and Mining.
"Many OF the CO... ro'IHsnies main
tain camp saloCns and collect from
he keepers of such saloons per cap
ita sum Of - cents to 80 cents per
month for each person who's" name
appears upon thn company payroll as
I charg" against the saioonkoepcr for
he privilege OF enjoying the exclusive
;aloon business Of the camp.
Saloons IN minin" camps produce a
lepiOrahle situation among the miners.
labitlatin" them To tn" improper use
IF strong drink and thereby impair
ng their efficiency by lcsseninG the
production and Increasing the hazard
II 0pcratin" The mine. One mine op-
arator testified as follows:
The saloon is the curse of the
amps. ,hc sink hole for miners earn
rN ON h., !, of It,lN w
with an AVERAGE OF $50 each for Il two
weeks payroll after deductions had
been made. had not cent left on the
nornin" following payday Their mon
~ went to Il saloon for liquor and
gambling. These men were .nfitted
'or work for three days
Many camp saloons are open after
midnight and on Sunday i'll violation
If state law. Over one saloon there
mas floated for wears the rcd flag Of
anarchy with an open knife fastened
o the flag. The saloon is a rendez-
yous for anarchists and many crimes
are chargcable to its influence. -
part lN.. page 55i, of official hear
n9.D
When President Wilson sent the
'ederal troops into Colorado to take
;Ea?@c OF the affairs OF the strike dis
.ricis. his first official act was to
rlcsc all OF the saloons The brewery
corporations protested vigorously but
he President. realizing that the root
0f the trouble lay in the vicious sa-
cons. ordered that they remain
closcd.
"Dry" Policy Best.
In Trinidad, Walsenburg and other
cities in the coal mining district, bust
ness has greatly increased since the
saloons were closed. Bank deposits
lavc shown tremendous increase.
miners are paying cash for the neces-
sites of life instead of running bills:
Did accounts are being paid; dead
Jcats have become as scarce as hens
.ecth-until the merchants and busi.
ness men OF these sections of the state
are pleading for statewide prohibi-
ion
The Dry policy has been of vast
benefit to the miners also. Mr.. 7. F.
Welhorn. president of the Colorado
Fuel and Iron Company. gave out Il
signed statement on the EFFECT of
losing Saloons in the Colorado Min
nS Districts" which reads as follows:
Experience shows that where no
saloon is Immediately available many
"orkMen so - far as IS necessary to
ind one and there sucud Saturday
aichts. Sundays ana HOLIDAYS, often
returning unfit for work until after a
lay or two oi rest, and the general
service is always greatly disorgani2ed
1y the incapacity OF a few.
"Sobrle;y First--8cst Business
Policy.
with the advent of the federal
rcops all saloons in the coal mining
districts were clCscd. and as a result
he efficiency Of the woriImen has
areatly improved. the average produc-
ion OF coal per man increasing about
en- per cent
he production at this company's
hIhes III the southern district of
colorado for the first eighteen davs
u April averaged So tons per dav
IN. O.
ore the federal troops closed the sa-
oonS
For the first eighteen days OF June
with all saloons cIosed) each man
produced G.a2 tons. WHICH MEANT
N AVERAGE iNCREASElN WAGES
~ OVER t1S; PER MAN
This has confirmed the view Iona
'e'o by US, that If saloons and drink
ns could be eliminated from the Goa
districts, not only the miners but II
companies would be greatly Der
tied"
NH. VOTER: The liquor traffic has
'eeh Tobhinc wage earners of their
earning capacity. In Colorado alone,
10000 workinsmen are made unfit for
'mnIoyment every year by the saloon.
has filled the state institutions full
o overlooking with public charges un-
II the taxpayers groan under the bur