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


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 1t
and We are under DO obligation what
ever to those who are running the
BOOKS business for the taxes which
they are compelled to paw
It really makes very little differ
efIce 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 monc5 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-
Pile of this country or else they are
not. If 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 ad.
ministration Of the United States gov.
eminent.
II 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 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 af'
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
it will he necessary to raise annually
if the-fHuor business is abolished Is
about SO per capita-less than a
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. who
pass through our courts. our peniten
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-
sitv 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!