The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-30
Find 1t Not Profitable, In
Long Run, To Take Liquor
License Money.
MANY MUNICIPALITIES
IN DIREST STRAITS
Saloon Ridden Cities Bound To
Be Dominated BY Saloon
Controlled Officials They
Who Dance Must Settle. e

Columbus, Ohio. Aug, 2s.-Does Il
pay to license saloons2 Ohio's big
wet centers are marching over tho
hills to the poorhouse. The moro
saloon revenue. the more poverty
stricken the municipality. The toll
taken by brewers, distillers and sa-
loonkeepers is draining these liquor
dominated communities. Every sA-
loon means an added cost to the tar
payers, for there Is not a grogshop
anywhere which pays for the devil
ment 1t does. 10y
The drink bill OF Ohio Is estimated
at s110,000,000 a. year. BY far this
larger part OF this big sum 10 spent
over the bars OF saloons in the big
cities Each saloon pays $500 o year
into the treasury of the municipality
/ in which it Ia located. The sum spent
for liquor does not increase the
wealth of the people. 1t goes into the
pockets OF the very few
Secondary Cost of Liquor.
Following the expenditure of this
vast sum. which In itself impoverishes
the community, is the secondary cost
of the traffic. which far exceeds the
millions spent in saloons. There IL
the loss of productivity on the part
Of thousands who drink. These men
do not and cannot produce as much
wealth as If they did not drink. They
lose time from their work and many
OF them eventually lose their Jobs.
The taxpayers go down into their
pockets to support the dependents OF
those who drink. They pay taxes to
maintain prisons. courts and institu-
tons OF various kinds to care for
the victims OF drink. They are con-
tinually being called upon for charity
needed by the back door product ct
the saloon.
This Ia not all. Every saloon donA-
mated city has Its affairs administered
by saloon dominated officials The
saloon gang Is not economically In
clined when 1t is spending public
money. Rather the reverse Tho
booze crowd are not good managers,
When the gang is in the saddle the
taxpayers have big bills to meet.
There Is crookedness Of the kind that
costs money--and the taxpayers. not
the liquor crowd. pay the fiddlers.
Financially Hard Up.
And SO II IL not strange that these
big wet cities OF Ohio are financially
hard up. Bonded Indebtedness grows
by leaps and bounds. Many OF them
are either borrowing money or issu-
ing bonds to pay running expenses.
Ctncinnati's bonded Indebtedness
and child In the city. and the town Is
| devising ways and means to get hold
! OF enough money to pay current ex-
penses.
In Columbus proposed bond issues
have been defeated twice within
six month. The city is desper-
ately hard up. She has not money
to keep the several departments go
ing. She is leading a hand-to-mouth
existence.
In beer soaked Toledo. as In CO.
lumbus. the people have twice turned
down the Issuing of bonds for cur
rent expenses. Now the order has
gone forth to take fifN men off the
fire department, similar number off
the street cleaning department. AZ
street flushing to be stopped. street.
cleaning work to be cut in half all
paving repairs and asphalt work to ba
discontinued, paving gangs to be
dropped, and probably salaries too OF
teachers in the city university to be
cut.
Stand BY Smith Law.
These wet cities are working over
time trying to devise ways to get out
from under the provisions OF the
Smith l per cent law. that they
can increase their indebtedness and
the burdens of the taxpayers, But
the taxpayers are standing by the
Smith law and now are refusing to
authorize the issuing OF moro bonds.
They are determined to call a halt.
These poverty-stricken cities are
the ones which are receiving the preat
bulk OF revenue from saloons That
blood money Is proving a curse in
stead OF a blessing. For every dollar
paid by the saloons. the taxpayers
have to pay at least $40 because OF
the saloons. 1t Is the most gigantic
gold brick swindle ever perpetrated on
the people.