The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-05-01
WHY NOT FACE THIS ISSUE
LIKE MEN?

If we are to have in North Carolina a
State Cor county, licensed and supported
liquor business, why not go all the way
down the line for booze and legalize manu-
facture in the State?
We are told that the purpose of the
present movement is to control the
LIQUOR traffic and to raise revenue.
If the chief purpose is to raise revenue
it is certain more revenue could be raised
by the plan of legalizing manufacture as
well as sale in North Carolina Under that
plan the distillers could be taxed. They
cannot be taxed at present because the dis
tillers are located in other States.
If the chief purpose is to control the
LIQUOR traffic it is certain that manufactur-
ing the stuff in the State would not in
crease or complicate the problems of con-
troll The foremost and gravest problem OF
control is that dealing with control OF
the dunderheads who drink the stuff.
Governor Hoey, in pointing out to the
people of the State the plain and proft-
able road of sobriety and urging them to
take that highway of progress and pros
perity. stated that it will be necessary for
anv North Carolinan who desires to con-
tribute one dollar to swell the tax collec-
tons of his State through liquor taxation
to send out of the State to swell the profits
of outside distillers, the sum of ten dollars.
I'm other words, for every dollar of liquor
taxes collected ten dollars is sent out OF
the State to pay for the liquor.
We said the man who drinks the liquor
s dunderhead He is more and worse
than that-but let that pass. We suggest
TO the liquor consumer that if he is so
moved by State pride and burning desire
TO give his State financial support in the
form of tax money that he is willing to
drink liquor to accomplish this purpose, a
much better plan would be to pass up the
booze and contribute $3.50 to the tax
funds and retain $3.50 in his own pocket.
Or the tax contribution could be less
and the individuals share CORRESPONDENCE
more.
Why send SO out of the State for
liquor in order to get chance to con-
tribute 81 to North Cardinals tax funds?
And then the man who contributes the
cash for the purchase of the booze drinks
the liquor and takes the consequences alb
solutely certain to follow the pouring of
two or three gallons of alcoholic poison
into his interior.
Friends-wets and drys-if this thing
has to be-if it is absolutely necessary to
Control liquor by putting the State and
the wet counties into the liquor traffic-or
if it is impossible for North Carolina to
carry on without booze taxes, let us as
citizens at least evidence the possession OF
little common sense and practical under
standing of some of the fundamentals OF
economics, by building distilleries, manu-
featuring our own liquor, and keeping our
SO bills as we'll as our 81 bills at home.
1t would not be greater crime for the
State or the counties to own distilleries
than it is for them to own liquor stores and
sellitRe stuff at retail. -.
ID is no greater crime against society to
make liquor than it is to sell it. {
If it IS morally wrong to make poison
beverages and distribute them to liquor
stores, it is equally moral wrong to en-
gage in the retail distribution of these
beverages. $50.
If the liquor traffic is the curse OF the
ages; if it is the greatest economic mistake
of the centuries; if the traffic is the mos'
damaging to society of any known to man
kind, the wreck and ruin and economic ant