Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-07-19
WHO WILL PAY THE TAXES
WHEN THE LIQUOR BUSINESS
is ABOLISHED?
Ry Charles Sickle.

Representatives of the liquor inter.
ests never tire of telling US that the
United States derives one-third of its
revenues from liquor industries.
Let's assume that this Is true. Does
anybody imagine for a moment that
the liquor men themselves pay this
tax? They simply add it to the cost
of the booze which they SELL In the
last analysis the consumer pays it
and we are under DO obligation what
ever to those who are running the
boozs business for the taxes which
they are compelled to pay.
It really makes very little differ
ence to the booze business how much
the liquor interest is taxed; when the
taxes are high the price of booze is
high; when the taxes are low, then
the price of booze is lowered.
What is the money received through
the revenue taxes used for? 1t is
used for the purpose Of running the
various departments Of the United
States government Now, either these
departments are beneficial to the peo-
pie of this country. or else they are
not. II they are not beneficial they
should be abolished. If they are bene-
| facial, then they should be main
tanned and the people should pay for
them.
But let US emphasize the fact that
we are not dependent on the liquor
business for the support OF. the adj
ministration of the United States gov.
eminent.
If the liquor industry were abol'
ished the taxes would simply come
from another source and, as hereto
fore, the people themselves would pay
all of the taxes. It isn't a question
as to what particular industry is to
pay these taxes so long as this indus
| try turns out a commodity which is
very generally used by all of the peo'
pie. This is,. SO obviously fair that
there can be no possible room for
argument. The United States govern.
ment does not need to encourage any
| illegitimate enterprise or illegitimate
| taxation schemes in order to raise the
revenue with which to conduct its al
| fairs.
- Our people are big enough and gen.
erous enough and fair-minded enough
| to see the justice of paying the bills
which are ,iegitimately contracted,
| and there will be no complaint from
| any decent citizen in this country
| when he is asked to pay his just share
| in maintaining the finest government
| in all the world So let's dismiss the
bugaboo of the revenue tax which the
booze business so generously hands
out to US, and which they tell US at
their annual conventions, with a
blare Of trumpets, can by no posi-
bility be raised from any other
! source.
In cold statistics the amount which
| 1t will be necessary to raise annually
| If the liquor business is abolished is
| about SO per capita-less than
penny a day for each individual. And
that isn't going to bust" the most
| prosperous people on the face of the
| globe, especially in view Of these
| facts: First, that the necessity for
| raising so much in the form of taxes
| will be decreased because there will
| no longer be any wreckage OF the sa'
loon business to care for in the way OF
! lunatics, criminals and. paupers, VINO
pass through our courts, our penlten'
! tiaries and our asylums of various
! kinds. And secondly, if the money now
| spent for booze were spent for legiti'
| mate purposes. it would so greatly in
| crease the demand for workers, the
! money spent in wages, and the neces,
sity for raw materials. that it would
| add tremendously to the profit Of all
the people.
! Do the foundations of this republic
rest upon the booze business? For
get it,