Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 34, Number 87, 3 February 1909 — Page 3

THE RICHMOND PAIXADIUM AND SXJN-TELEGRAM. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1900.

PAGE THREE.

JXKI

FJo more important civic ixxty has ever confronted the voters ot Wayne (County than that awaiting you on the day of the (County Option election

Economic and moral issues arc involved. No man has a right to be indifferent when such questions are at issue. All should vote "yes" or "no." We appeal to you to vote in the affirmity, and present the following array of facts and figures to support our appeal. Watch this space. WAYNE COUNTY LOCAL OPTION COMMITTEE

Only Small Number in Kansas Poor Houses States Record Being Used in Prohibition Fight. TOPEKA CAPITAL, Jan. 29, 1909. The anti-saloon advocates in Indiana are using this state as an example of what prohibition will do for a state and some of the "wets" have disputed the statements made by the advocates of temperance. Tele grams were received yesterday by several state officers from daily news1 papers in Indiana asking about the truth of certain assertions. One thing stated by the anti-saloon people was that there were 58 poor houses in the state with a total of 87 paupers. The newspapers wanted to know what truth there was in this statement. The State Board of Control, which keeps statistics on such matters, prepared the following figures and mailed them yesterday showing the population of the county poor farms of the fatate on'j&nuary 1, 1909: Aed and infirm, poor (insane) ." 411 Destitute juveniles under 16 years of age 13 Insane 45 Idiots end feebleminded 158 Blind 51 Deaf 25 Inebriates . 47 Total population of the county alms houses of the state of all classes. . . .750 A closer examination of these reports shows that on the date above given, outof the 105 counties in the state: 40 had no aged or infirm "floor. 85 had' no insane. 84 had no feeble-minded. 96 had no inebriates. 77 had no blind. 90 had no deaf. jrjr; i.;".97 had no children. 27 of the 105 counties of the state reported not having had any inmates of any class in their county poor farms during the entire year of 1908. The estimated population of Kansas, January 1, 1908, was 1,800,000. The above figures are. not estimates, but are authenticated by reports from the county clerk of each county now on file in this office. Wayne county alone has 57 , inmateB in the infirmary. Look. Here Mr Workinrjman. The liquor traffic returns less to labor in proportion to the money spent than any legitimate business on earth. Of $100 spent for, Boots and Shoes, labor gets $20.77 Of $100 spent for Clothing, labor gets 19.42 Of $100 spent for Bread, labor gets . rj 17.94 Of $100 spent for Furniture, labor gets 23.77 Of $100 spent for Hardware, labor gets .'. 24.17 Of $100 spent for the products of Richmond's four largest factories, labor gets $37.22 Of $100 spent for Distilled Liquors, labor gets 1.0S Of $100 spent for Malt Liquors, labor gets 5.18 If the immense capital now invested in the liquor traffic was invested ; in legitimate industries, it would employ from eight to twelve times as many men at better wages. The saloon robs the laboring man of the just reward of his toill and the state uses the saloon revenue to reduce the taxes of the rich? Look Here Mr. Taxpayer Saloons An Economic Burden to Richmond and Wayne County. The following is the total actual income to the City of Richmond and Wayne County from the breweries and saloons in 1907: Taxes actually paid by breweries on personal property $ 392.34 Taxes actually paid by saloons on personal property ,. 362.24 License fees paid by saloons city . 12,801.00 License fees paid by saloons Cambridge City, etc 900.00 License fees paid by saloons county 6,510.00 Total income $20,965.58 The following shows the cost to taxpayers of Wayne county for the maintenance of certain institutions, to-wit: Cost of maintaining jail $10,766.50 Cost of maintaining infirmary, net 5,892.98 Cost of maintaining orphans 2,395.78 Cost of maintaining poor (townships) . . .. 8,212.62 Cost of maintaining poor school children 193.94 Cost of probation officer 300.00 Cost of insanity inquests : 732.45 Cost of police department (less than one-half charged for this . comparison) 8,000.00 Cost of City Court '.. 1,415.73 Cost of Circuit Court (less than one-sixth charged for this t comparison) 1,300.00 County's share of expense of State benevolent and penal institutions 17,224.70 . Total .....$56,956.71 o per cent, of above chargeable to saloons $42,717.54

T Kf II HI T 2

HFJIBIIAKrA

Mr. R. J. Wade, Richmond, Ind.

TIPTOXjTXD, Jan, 30.-191. '

Him IFashmmQimdl Q)IkESIEW&I AT 7:5 The IrisH Orator of Cleveland IFaritflaoir (Do IP, IBsurawrji

The track of the saloon and the blind tiger are similar. When both are present it is difficult to determine one from the other. The saloon abolished, the track must be that of the blind tiger. The track determined, he can be traced to his lair. A successful hunt has been instituted in various parts of our own and other states resulting in recent convictions includmg'jai! and penitentiary sentences in Mitchell, Lapel, Danville and other places in Indiana. The same successful course will yet be followed in Wayne county. Are Richmond's "Well Regulated" Saloons So Free From Criticism?

Dear Sir: Replying to your inquiry a few dayssince. we -answer the question of "Has there been any increase in'taxes om account ofttheelitnination of tlie saloon? Ans. "So." '"Has it hurt business?" Xo, it was better for three months'-thatt we had no saloons. Our high taxes are the result of the building of -a, $70,000 high school building, the new gravel road law, and the cornoratfpp! axesj which carry with it a 30 per cent rate on electric light, 35per cent)for?watr works bonds, of which the city owns and controls. We are hanpxto,&ay that so far as the elimination of the saloon from our city andcoMnyvdoln harm financially, we expect it to be a great benefit, sot only la at financial' way, but more so in a moral way which of Itself is not measured) dollars and cents. We hope to hear of Wayne county going 3.000 for "Dry." Respectfully, J. F. BARLOW. Auditor. . LEBANON'. IND., Jan. 29. 190$. Mr. R. J. Wade, Richmond, lnJ. Dear Sir: In answer to your communication with reference to the tar rate of our city for years when we had saloons and for the year since we had saloons, went out, I submit to you the following levy for the past three years from which you can draw your own conclusions: Tax rate for 1906, with saloons 130. Tax rate for 1907, with saloons 120. Tax rate for 1906, without saloons 130).

the Increase la the corporation

The city treasurer wu asked to what he .attributed rate for 190$ over 1907 and his answer was "To reduce

debt," an answer we take it. from which the advocates of the saloon may derive scant comfort, in view of the fact that said debt must necessarily have been contracted prior to and not since the -saloons went out. These same advocates of the saloons, I presume, fail to tell you -of the changed condition of many of the children of our public schools, wte. when the saloons flourished attended with scant and insufficient clothing and shoes, now attend in comfort. Tet this is a fact. They fail to tell woo that the Bowery (as the saloon district was forraerlyknown) is now an (respectable a part of our town as any. Yet this is also true. Note as yon please, the following eloquent plea for "No saloons" rni the figures tabes from the sheriffs report in this county for the month of September,. 1908, ascompared with the same month, 1907: Sept. 1907, number of commitments 44; -days 44; cost.$122.80 Sept. 1908, number of commitments 4; days 9; cost $3.60. " 1 Tours for the cause, "T . , R. T. ASHLEY, .Assessor Look. I3ere Mr InWieancQO Man

Who are your best customers? money in the saloons?

Ace they men who snend-tthe most

Dec-Jan., 06-7

Dec-Jan., '07-8

Dec-Jan. '08-9

Arrests for Drunkenness .

$500,000 annually spent in the saloons of Wayne county REDUCES taxable wealth and INCREASES taxation by "promoting idleness, vice and pauperism, and it also robs you of just so much business, for if not spent in saloons it would be spent in stores like yours, and 'you would be abundanty able to pay a little more tax if need be, and still be ahead of the dealBut we don't have to theorize. The experiment has been tried in hundreds of places and wherever the saloonsXhave been abolished TAX- " ' ATION HAS DECREASED, or they have moreKo show for the levies made. Look. Heret Mr Taxpayer How Does It figure Up? It is generally conceded, even by the liquor interests, and abundantly proved by official and scientific investigation, that at least 75 per cent, of the pauperism, crime and insanity is directly or indirectly the product of the saloon. Therefore, the saloons should bear 75 per cent, of the cost of pauperism and crime to the county : - t - . ' ' -. Total expense because of saloons $42,717.54 Total income from saloons and breweries.... 20.9C5.59

Rev. G IP. Baron "What about good saloons? I never heard of one. My honest opinion on that subject, and I don't think I miss the truth very much, is that the good saloon is the bad saloon, and the better saloon the worse saloon, and the best saloon the worst saloon. The good saloon sows the seed, the bad saloon cultivates the crop, and the devil reaps the harvest. Rev. C. P. Baron.

..$21,751.96

Financial loss. .. ..

For every $1 of income from the breweries and srfloons $2.04 is expended. This does not include many items such as total expense of the Home of the Friendless, erpense of Hospital caused by sickness and accidents resulting from drink, expense of Associated Charities, Flower Mission, etc over 50 per cent, of whose cases are the result directly of the saloon, and 25 per cent. Indirectly, according to the investigations of those in charge. Nor does it include the enormous Indirect loss as a result of wages lost while sick or in jail, and jobs lost because of drink, etc., a Toss greater far than that which is direct and can be approximated in figures. -

Does Wayne County Want to Onvite the Onflow of Saloon Keepers and Their Following From Surrounding Counties Going Bry?