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Show EDITORIAL Liquor and Gambling Vs. Industry WHATEVER the outcome of state elections in November, Novem-ber, the citizens of Utah had better make up their minds now whether they want a state with or without gambling, and liquor sales by the drink. There are many ill-informed citizens who contend that by having an "open" state Utah would become much more prosperous. They point to some of our neighboring states as examples of increased state revenue through taxation tax-ation of legalized gambling machines and liquor sales over the bar. Let's get down to fundamentals . . . Ihere s only one thing that makes a state prosperous, and that is the efficient ef-ficient production of life's necesities and other goods which contribute to human welfare. Panning, manufacturing, manu-facturing, and mining are the "Big Three" in Utah's economy. econ-omy. It is the improvement and expansion of these three fundamental activities which will make our state more-prosperous. more-prosperous. Utah people frequently forget, however, that large-industrial large-industrial concerns are interested in locating here, not so much because of our natural resources, but mainly because be-cause of our human resources. They favor Utah over its ' neighboring states (whe-re liquor and gambling are wide i open) because the industrialists know that Utah people have a world-wide reputation as earnest workers. In plain words, if we let liquor sales by the drink and legalized legal-ized gambling machines creep in we might as well say goodbye to new industry coming into the state. - And that wouldn't be the only harm. If it is true that these two evils bring increased revenue into state coffers, cof-fers, they rob the same coffers of valuable tax money which ordinarily comes as a result of prosperous business conditions. People who gamble and drink excessively don't have enough money left to pay their bills. As conclusive evidence, we reprint the findings of several sev-eral leading Idaho citizens concerning legalized slot machines in their state. These facts were written down following an extensive survey made by these citizens Playing of slot machines: 1. Injures legitimate business, immediately and seriously. se-riously. 2. .. Exact amount not yet known but estimated to be millions which is immediately taken from retail business interests and used for legalized gambling. 3. Extensive money wasting and gambling on the part of young people observed throughout the state. 4. Many women adopting the habit of calling and making reservations for their favorite slot machines. 5. Alarming increase in number of families who can't pay milk bills, doctor bills, etc., yet who are observed playing slot machines enthusiastically. 6. School children observed playing machines endlessly end-lessly because machines can be played with small change with which they must be supplied. Correction extremely difficult, if not impossible. 7. Machines played by those who cannot afford them and Jiosc already in difficult financial circumstances. 8. Expected that state relief load will be increased materially because of the slot machine drain on those with low marginal incomes. 9. Numerous cases observed where children are inadequately in-adequately clothed yet one or both parents are habitual slot machine addicts. |