Of the many queer things that can be done by virtue of tax exemption
laws, a recent episode in New York city furnishes an apt illustration.
A saloon keeper had for some time a monopoly of trade in one of the
less settled but growing districts. With the opening of a new boulevard,
houses began to go up; and a rival was not slow in taking advantage of
the opportunity to set up in opposition to the first comer. The newcomer
was an energetic business man, and knew how to draw custom, so that
he at once made considerable inroads on the patronage of his older
competitor. The latter, however, was a man of resources. Among the
few lots of land not yet occupied for building purposes was one in the
neighborhood of the second saloon. This was quietly purchased by the
older saloonist, and the other awaited results, expecting to see a third
saloon established with a view to stealing some of his trade. His wily
rival, however, knew a trick worth two of that. Almost over night, a
rude shack was erected, with a slight steeple which pointed heavenward,
though not with what usually pass for heavenly aims. This was turned
over free of charge to a handful of persons, to hold meetings of a
nominally religious nature. Having no taxes to pay on property thus
dedicated to holy uses, and being thus able to hold it indefinitely at
practically no expense, the original saloon keeper straightway appealed
to the police department to enforce the law forbidding the existence of
a saloon within a certain distance of a church, and thus, at the latest
report, was on the eve of triumphantly driving his rival from the field.
The next move would naturally be to purchase the abandoned saloon at a
low figure, allow the "church," having served its purpose, to give up
the ghost in an unobtrusive manner, and to resume business with the
second saloon, where the discomfited competitor had been compelled to
leave it off. Whether the ingenious scheme worked out to the finish
or not, the writer is not informed. At least, it went far enough to
demonstrate the remarkable possibilities under legislation encouraging
the juggling with religious things for purposes of private advantage.