The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-04
LIQUOR CONTROL
FEATURES A. B. E.
Continued From Page One)

over county and from officers Of the
federal alcohol tax unit.
These departments on many oc-
casions rendered valuable assist
ance, not only in giving information
and reports, but also in making raids
and investigations.
But by securing the cooperation of
these departments and by giving
their full attention to the business
OF keeping the sale of liquor out Of
the hands of bootleggers, the enforce
ment officers of the ABC. board re-
duced greatly the amount of boot
Logging in New Hanover county.
No longer does one find in the
downtown district of Wilmington the
almost innumerable bootleg joints
which existed there prior to the
opening of the liquor stores.
Proof that the law is being en-.
forced and that liquor trade is being
placed into the channels legitimatized
by the ABC law is seen in the yer.
increasing profits of the ABC LIQUOR
stores.
In the slightly less than five years
the ABC stores have been in op.
GRAFTON the ABC board has paid to
the county of New Hanover and the
political subdivisions in it $479 ,45O,
or nearly a half-million dollars.
B%ootleggers Deprived
This figure represents m
which otherwise would have gone
into the hands of bootleggers, men
who sold liquor to oldster and
youngster, drunkard and temperate
man alike, at any hour of the day
or night, on Sundays, holidays or
any other day.
The emphasis which the ABC
board has placed on control since the
stores were opened and the fact that
the board has consistently contended
it should be allowed by the state ABC
board to keep the price of one or
two cheap whiskeys down to a mini
mum price as an item to compete
with the bootlegger is ample proof
that the control angle of the ABC
law is the most important in the
minds of the three members of the
board.
But, eve as enforcement of the
law brings order to the county, it
brings, as a %by-product, another
benefit that cannot be overlooked:
to-wit, the nearly half-million dollars
in profits which has been distributed
to the political subdivisions.
For example, during the fiscal
year ended June 80, the county CT
New Hanover received $4,000 from
the operation of the ABC stores,
which money was spent for neces-
sary governmental operations. Had
this money not been made available
to the county through the operation
Of the stores, the taxpayers would
have been called upon to pay it in
taxes, which would have meant that
instead of the tax rate being 80
cents per 800 assessed valuation, it
would have been 1877 cents per 500
assessed valuation.
Because the city of Wilmington re-
ceived 66 2-3 per cent of the profit
from stores operated within it's linn
it's, profits from the stores play an
even more important part in its tax
rate. During the last fiscal year the
city received $66 5000 from the oper-
alton of the stores and used the
funds for necessary purposes. Had
this money not been received from
that source, it would have had to
come from the pockets of the tax
payres, who instead of paying $1.40
per 500 assessed valuation, would
have been called upon to pay $1.6514
per $100 assessed valuation.
Saves Taxpayers Much
The amount of money received
during each of the years the stores
have been in operation and the
amount of tax, which, because of TIE
profits so received, the commission
ers were able to refrain from levying,
follows:
New Hanover County
Year Amount Received Rate
1896 ---------- $13, 500 $3.50 3.4 cents
1887 -------- $4,000 - SIS cents
1888 -------- $4,000 ---- 8.4 cents
1889 --------- $4,000 $3.50 8.5 cents
1910 ----- 100000 $3.50 81 cents
City OF Wilmington