The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1935-12-26
TOWNS
TO GET FIRST
LIQUOR PROFITS
Counties And Cities To Receive
About $l20,000 As Their.
Portion
Get 80 Per Cent
Five Newly Incorporated Towns
To Have Share; Based
On Population

Nespelem and Grand Coulee will
receive their first distribution Of
liquor profits within the next few
days from the state liquor board, as
this will be the first distribution
made since these towns were incor-
pOrated.
Under the 1885 law counties and
cities win receive 80 instead of SO
per cent of the profits, as in the
past.
During the first two months of
the new fiscal year, the board re-
ported 100000 book profit out of
which to make the December pay
ment. 1t has made four payments
to date, each of 100000, 5000, 900
to the state and the rest to counties
and cities on a population basis.
State Will Keep More
The new apportionment may to-
tai $500, 900, but under the new per-
centages, the state general fund
would get $3.50, 900 and counties and
cities $4,000. Profits the first
two months of fiscal year are al
ways higher because of heavy IL
cense and permit sales.
The payment is being delayed
slightly while the legal tangle sur
rounding five newly-incorporated
towns is Strengthened out by State
Auditor Cliff Yelle, the attorney
generals office and the liquor
board.
Grand Coulee- Nespelem Problem
Grand Coulee, North Bonneville,
Rock Island, East Wenatchee and
Nespelem are the new mouths" at
the liquor profits trough this quar-
ter. The problem arose over whe-
Their they would get cut OF the
profits on the basis of their popula-
ton in 1890, as other cities get
theirs, or at the time they were
incorporated. All but Rock Island
were Incorporated In 1885.
The attorney generals office
ruled their share of profits should
be figured on population when in
corporated since it would be hard
to guess now what their population
was in 1880. Since then 1t devel-
oped no one knew how many peo-
pie they had when they were in
corporated.
The liquor board ended the 1885
fiscal year October l with $466OO0
in it's reserve pot" after distribute
ing $685. 900 in profits. The re-
serve fund was provided by the
1888 legislature to back up any
bonds the board sold to start itself
in the liquor business. None was
sold.
Much of the $l,23O,OOO profits
will be reinvested in liquor stocks.
With liquor sales heavy in winter
months, the board probably will be
able to make it's next two quarterly
distributions big.
The legislature slashed the pc
cent counties and cities will get out
of liquor from SO per cent to 80 per
cent on grounds the state was en-
titled to the difference because it
was taking over old age pensions
formerly paid by the counties. The
state now gets 10 per cent OF profits.
New Towns Miss Gas Cut
by Incorporating, IllC A1FC oAAA.1AA
central Washington towns Will be
in a slightly better position to shout
for a cut of the gasoline tax. Be-
fore they can get a share, however,
they either will have to have the
1897 legislature amend the gas tax
law or wait until the 1910 census
establishes their population. The
gas tax law now provides for distri-
button the basis Of the 1880 census
only. The towns were not mcOr-
porated then and have no census
figures.