The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-21
ONLY SMALL REVENUE
BROUGHT FROM LIQUOR
Department of Commerce Reports 3.5
Per cent of Total From Sale
OF Ardent Spirits.
SHOWING CONTINUOUS DECLINE
Failing Off Has Become Matter Of
Sufficient Importance to Justify
Study of Other Sources to Be Used
for Taxation.

Washington, d. c., July 20.-Dur-
ing the fiscal year 1917 the 2l9 Amer
ivan cities having more than $4,000
inhabitants derived only 3-5 per cent.
of their total from the liquor
traffic. The proportion represented
by this figure has shown a continuous
decline during recent years, having
fallen from 6.4 per cent. in 1917 TO
5.5 per cent. in 1903. 5 per cent. in
1911, AS per cent. in 1918, AZ per
cent. in 1915, and SIS per cent, In
1917. These proportions refer in each
case to the group of cities m
to have more than 80. 900 inhabitants
in the year specified. This group
comprised 1877 cities in 1907 and l9o9.
1913 in 1911, 1873 in 1913, 204 in 1915,
and 21s in 1917. The foregoing are
among the outstanding facts present
ed in a report entitled specified
Sources of Municipal Revenue; lslf.
soon to be issued by Director Sam L.
Rogers, OF the bureau of the census,
Department of Commerce. and COM
piled under the supervision of Mr..
Starke NJ. Grogan, chief statistician
for statistics of states and cities.
For the 2l9 cities OF over $4,000
taken as a group. the proportions
which the various classes or revenues
formed of the total during n tiscal
wear 1917 were: Property taxes. e".3
per cent; earnings Of public service
enterprises, 10 per cent; special as
sessments and special charges Tor out
laws. IS per cent; highway privileges,
rent and interest, 5.5 per cent sun
ventions, grants, gifts. donations ana
pension assessments. Al per cent.
iiduor taxes. IS per cent; earnings OF
general departments, rs per cent
business taxes other tina liquor tin
GLIDING those collected without the
issue of licenses) ana n~onhuslneSS
license taxes. Il per cent fines trT-
feits. and escheate, f~Ve-tenths OF one
per cent: and poll taxes. two-tenths
of one per. cent.
The progress of the movement for
the suppression of the liquor traffic
since 1903 in indicated in a rough
way by a comparison of the proper
tions which the numbers OF cltles re
ceiving liquor taxes represented 81
the total numbers covered by the
1903 and 1917 reports. respectiVtAy
In the earlier year 1873 cities out OF a
total of 146, or more than nine-tenths'
received liquor taxes: whereas IN the
later wear only las cities out OF a
total of 21a, or about seVen-tenths
received such axe so pronounced
has been the decline in municipal rev
enues from the liquor traffic during
recent years that the gross amount q
such revenues dropped from sAl,5h%'
S97 for 1873 cities in the fiscal year
1919 TO 3a,606, g5s for goa cities IN
1915, and TO s36,974s797 for 2l9 cites
in 1917.
The falling off in this class OF n1u-
nicipal has become a mat
ter of sufficient Importance in the
Judgment OF the Census Bureau 10
Justify a study Of certain sources from
which can be derived TO take
the place Of those formerly suppileo
by the liquor traffic. THESE sources
are specified as Special assessments.
business taxes other than on the
nquor traffic, general license taxes
M license taxes on dogs.
Proportions of LIQUOR Taxes.
The percentages which the receipts
from taxes on the liquor tratTc
formed of the total revenues In the
cities which collected liquor x
during the fiscal year 1917 ranged
from is per rent in East 81. Louis,
III. TO seven ~teenths of one per cenf
in New Castle. Pennsylvania. For a
ten cities which, according to the cen
Sus Of 1910. ranked highest in popu-
iation. The percentages that hodoV
contributed TO the total revenues our
ing the fiscal wear 1917 were az FOL
lows New York. 80; Chicago, 3. chi
cago 8. Philadelphia. Al: st. Louis
q Boston. ~ Cleveland. II; batl-
more. as. Pittsburgh, 3 Detroit, 1l'
ana hIlfA}h- s.
License Taxes.
fhoug the revenues ohtalhe0
from the LIQUOR traffic in American
rites have always been small in com
partSon with those from property
taxes. nevertheless they have been
very much greater than those accru~
irg from licenses on business other
than the houor traffic. These other
business licenses" Yielded only nine.
tenths of one per cent OF the total
revenues of cities OF over 80, 600 7ur-
ing the fiscal year 1917. and during
preceding years the corresponding
proportion varied bust slightly having
been equal TO either one per cent or
one and one-tenth per cent for each
OF the wears for which figures are
given in the report. :,
some Of the cities. however. raised
considerable proportions of their rev
enues through license taxes OF tAts
character. Following is a list of those
which reported s per cent or more or
their total as derived from
such sources during the fiscal year
1917:
Rirmingham, Ala. .........-. III