Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-04-15

large display form. as an advertise
ment, press dispatch that had been
sent out previously from Charleston
relative to the suspension of pay
ments out of the general revenues Of
the state. Tue impression intended
to be made by this display advertise
ment is that West Virginia suspended
payment because Of the loss Of liquor
revenue THIS DISPLAY ADVER-
TISEMENT OF A PREVIOUSLY
PUBLISHED NEWS ITEM WAS UN-.
DOUBTEDLY PAID FOR BY THE
LIQUOR INTERESTS IN AN Eff
FORT TO MISLEAD THE CITIZEN
SHIP OF MARYLAND IN PARTICU-
LAR, AS WE'LL AS READERS OF
THE PAPER IN GENERAL. The
Baltimore American of the same date
carried a like display advertisement
in the same form and word for word
as the article appearing in the Sun.
What is true of these two papers is
true of papers published in the states
of Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Throughout the nation liquor people
are spending large sums of money to
make the impression that West Viz
ginfa is bankrupt because she no
longer collects revenue from the
liquor business, and it is, therefore,
quite apparent that the liquor inter-
ests throughout the country are try
ing to discredit prohibition in West
Virginia, and to make the proposition
odious in other states by statements
Of like nature to that quoted from the
National Liquor Dealers Journal
The liquor people, purposely, and
some who are not in the liquor BUSH
ness, unadvisedly, endeayor to create
the impression that West Virginia
suffers financially because she pro-
hibits the manufacture and sale Of in
toxicating liquors The appropriation
for all purposes of the state, payable
out of the general revenue, for the
next biennial period, including over
$400, 100000 to aid local public schools,
aggregate $2,500,000 annually. The
state has a present deficit and will
have deficit of approximately $780,
900 on June Both next-the end of the
present fiscal year 1t is also true,
however, That the state had a deficit
OF $350,000 on June Both, 1914, not
Withstanding that in the fiscal year
then ending, the state had collected
license money from those engaged in
the liquor business. Back of this, how
ever, the state mad deficit of $780,
900 on June 80, 1913, Notwithstanding
IN the fiscal year then ending the state
collected as much revenue from the
f.Quor business as In any year rnaT
the state collected such revenue. Now,
inasmuch rs We had deficits for two
succeeding years before prohibition
came into effect, what shall the liquor
people say, and their friends say, in
their efforts to create the impression
that the deficit in West Virginia ex-
lists solely today because she is pro
hibition state. There are reasons for
the deficit that the state faces today.
We shall not. refer to all of them, but
to some of them. For the fiscal year
beginning July j, 1913, the state board
Of public works laid the state levy ut
one cent. Such levy was too low to
meet the demands that came upon the
state In that fiscal year. notwit1stand-
ing the state was collecting revenue
from the liquor business However. it
is to be remembered that the great
Kanawha Valley strike entailed in the
state an unexpected expenditure Of
over 100000 during that fiscal year.
For the fiscal year beginning July /,
1918, the state board of public works
laid the state levy at SIX cents, al
though It had the authority to lay it az
high as ton a six-cent levy was not
eufhcient, notwithstanding the state
WIS collecting revenue from the liquor
business An audit Of the states az
lelru. made pursuant TO the public &c
eogR1ilE eefs aTa 1le1 fke s1Ss q ~