Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-08-31

81.6 per cent of the youth are being
, educated. In Nevada, state in mos
respects similar to Oklahoma, bu
wet, only So per cent are in school.
n "The economic loss ocacsioned by
the liquor trade is titanic. The las
census report represents the distillers
and brewers Of the nation as having
used materials amounting to little
more than l per cent of the value OF
the raw products made Use of in all
manufacturing. A few simple com.
parisons will suffice to illustrate how
hum has worked to the detriment OF
the producer. When breweries were
in operation in the state of Oregon
they returned only two-ffths of the
value of their product to labor and
materials, while other industries re-
turned four-ffths (1914 Campaign
Manual, Oregon Anti-Saloon league)
In every case where states have
gone dry the farming communities
have been benefited by the change.
Twenty years ago mortgages were
held by fasteners on Kansas lands.
Now, in spite of repeated drouths, the
people of the state own $67 900
worth of such credits. In Kansas
every fifth farmer owns an automo-
bile; in wet Missouri, where condi-
tions of climate and soil are much
more favorable to the agriculturist,
only one farmer in every 100 affords
an automobile.
"The one thing that has given
King Alcohol the grip he now holds
on our government is the revenue.
Yet in 1912 we received $31 1868 ,4S4.81
internal revenue from sources other
than liquors. The rise in taxes which
the tariff brings about heavily coun-
terbalances the amount of revenue it
brings into the treasury. Employing
a basis established from the report
Of the Massachusetts state board OF
statistics Of labor and the state audi
tors report, it was discovered that
$2,012,419 of the cost of paupers,
criminals and insane was due to Ii
cense for the sale of intoxicants. One
fourth of the appropriations of the
Oregon legislature in 1913 was for
those institutions made necessary
largely by the open saloon.
Labor and the manufacturing in
dustry are decidedly worsted by
booze. The Oregon Anti-Saloon
leagues investigation in 1914 of the
IS breweries of the state shows that
50, ,469,927 was invested in these
plants and that 204 wage earners
were employed. By careful compari-
son with the other industries it was
shown that if the same amount Of
capital were invested in any other
line it would employ S1S wage earn
ers. The families of drunkards are
forced to compete in the labor mar
ket. This, of course, greatly lowers
wages. In Massachusetts the average
yearly earnings of each man and wo-
man living in no license cities
amounts to 1929 more than the av-
erage yearly earnings Of each man
and woman living in the wet cities,
an aggregate difference of $4,0S5,0S1.-
81 Third Annual Report on Stats
ties and Manufactures for Massachu-
setts).
"The preparation of liquors does
not deserve mention among manufac-
turing industries. The value of pro-
ducts from numbering alone is more
than three times the value of malt
and distilled liquors, while the value
Of products from our foundries and
shops is nearer four times as
much abstract of Census, p. 442).
'Liquor traffic adds very little to
inland commerce and still less to
ocean trade. On the other hand it
INJURIES trade the world over by de-
,reasing productivity. Furthermore,
t menaces the carriers of commerce
)y inducing an irresponsible condi-
ion upon the part of train and ship
'rews. Business conditions will be
better in the United States without
)ooze. So little raw material is used,
10 little labor needed, to carry on its
that the profits are enor-
nous. Nothing keeps more money
nut Of circulation than does the IL
Iuor trade. By a conservative esti-
nate, our drink bill in 1910 was $2,-
30, ,551 ,073.5S Other causes not tax
n into consideration, this great eco
lomic waste is sufficient to bring
bout stringent financial conditions
nd it is well to notice that our f. I
ancial panics have always followed q
selies OF years when fermented
quors doomed.
"As long as the liquor traffic ex- ,
,ts our liberties and institutions are
1t is therefore urgently !.
ecessary that this "enemy at homen
e prohibited to continue.
AXES DELINQUENT TOMORROW I