The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-10-23
AN ECONOMIC ARGUMENT

An ever ready argument of the wet
advocates is that in case the sa-
looms are voted out Of Marion county,
the loss of the revenue will add heav-
lily to taxation.
There are seven saloons in Ocala,
which pay $500 each to the county,
$500 to the state and $500 to the
town. The total is 5000, which is in
deed quite good-sized amount.
There are two sides, however, to
the question, and the vets never pre-
sent the other side, tho it is the one
the people are most concerned in.
In the first place, it will not take
such large arount in proportion to
make up for the lost revenue. The
properly valuation of Marion county
is, in round numbers, $7,135,000. A
taxation of one mill on all property
would make up the deficit and more.
The present milIage is 211s, and
the amount of revenue needed to run
the county next year is from $150,000
to 100000. Seven thousand dollars
is about one twenty-second of this
sum. Whose back will be broken by
this straw?
But there is yet another element to
be considered, and that is one that the
vets, so far from referring to, do not
wish anyone to think of.
In order to make the profit neces-
sary to pay this revenue, and the
other expenses of the saloon business,
it is necessary to sell a large amount
of whisky-a hundred thousand dol
lars worth or more.
1t is not necessary to debate the
feeling that the average man and
woman has toward the buying OF
whisky. We all know that each and
every one of us considers it money
III spent.
Fathers and mothers don't want
their sons to drink it; they don't
want their daughters to marry men
who drink it; merchants don't want
their clerks to drink it; business men
would prefer their customers did not
drink it. 1t is universally conceded
that drinking is at its very best use
less waste, and from uselessness it
runs on down the scale from harmful
ness 20 wickedness.
There is only so much money in
Marion county, and every dollar spent
for whisky is dollar less to spend
for something else. With the excep-
ton of opium, and other harmful
drugs, it cannot be spent worse.
1t is beyond dispute that if men die
not drink, great proportion of the
money now spent for useless or harm.
full liquor would be spent for groc.
cries, clothes, shoes and other neces-
saries, and for luxuries that are moi
hurtful. No money for saloons woulc
mean more money for nearly every
other business in town; and they car
figure for themselves how it would
add to their trade.
Another thing is that more in pro
portion of the money spent for whis
ky is sent out of the county thar
money spent for anything else.
What does Marion county receive
for the money it spends for whisky
1t receives enough to pay the ex
pelses of the saloon and the people
connected with them. This is fair.
sized amount, for the saloon people
are never tight-wads. They are al
ways generous and keep the coin cir,
culating; but they are few in mum
Der compared to the remainder of the
population or volume of business. Ane
all the rest of the money goes out o.
the county, to Jacksonville, to Ken
lucky, Ohio and Wisconsin, and never
returns in any beneficial form.
1t can, of course, be said that a big
proportion of the money spent fol
other goods goes out of the county
Very true, but we receive IN return
for it things that help us to live, t.
work and to make more money.