Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-02-21
Rutland County Temperance Con.
ventton.

The slS annual convention of the
Rutland County Temperance Society was
held at the Congregational Chapel In
this place yesterday afternoon, the ses-
sion beginning at one o'clock.
Hon. John Howe, Jr., President of the
Society, presided. Prayer was offered
by VIM, A. Burnett, Esq, after which the
minutes OF the last annual meeting were
read and approved.
The report of the County Commits
sioner Mr.. Selden, who was absent,
was then read by the President, and by
unanimous vote accepted and placed
upon the records Of the Society. 1t is as
follows -
John Ho,ce, IT,, Esq, PreSt. Of the Rat.
land Co. Temperance SocIety,-There have
been in Rutland County twelve agencies
for the sale OF intoxicating liquors in
operation during the past year. The
agents are: at Benson, Horace Knapp /;
at Brandon, Seymour Bush at Castle.
ton, A. Merrill; at Clarendon, Isaac s,
Hall at Dandy, o. Hadwin; at Mount
Holly, E. G. Wright; at Pittsfleld, VIM.
Davis; at Pittsford, II. F. Tiffany; at
PoultneY, Danl, Mallary; at Rutland, DR..
E.A. Pond in Shrewsbury, j. B, Story; in
WallingfoId, Harvey Shaw. The agency
in Clarendon has only been in operation
a part of the year, and is understood to
be in process of winding up. l had re-
;,olol NJ
! ment of an agent In Clarendon till last
summer, when, upon the urgent solicit
ations of the Selectmen and upon their
personal promise to keep strict watch
upon the agency, made the present ap.
pointment, but as it was found that
quite a respectable portion Of the inhab-
itants in the vicinity deemed the agency
not needed, an arrangement has been
made to discontinue the agency as soon
as the present stock of liquors has been
sold out.
| have received more full and accurate
reports in the past year, from which 1t
appears that, though there has been an
! increasing stringenev in the sale Of IL
| quOrs at the various agencies, the aver
age monthly sales at the II agencies
amount to but little short of $4,000 per
month.
Ihave taken a good deal of pains dur.
| ing the past year to impress upon the
agents the necessity OF complying more
strictly with the requirements of the
law, and think that the present board
of agents are doing, as body, about as
well as any persons who could be Undue
ed to take the office.
I have during the past year given
some attention to the question of shrink
age and correspondent with some Of the
leading agencies on that subject, and
caused experiments and tests to be re-
| ported, as the result of which | have
come to the conclusion that, in point Of
fact, the average shrinkage on the diff
ferent kinds of liquor exceeds ten pei
cent. the shrinkage of those OF the
highest proof going as high sometimes
as fifteen per cent.
| have also given more particular at
tention to the prices at which liquors are
sold at the agencies, suggestions having
| been made to me that too high prices
were asked at some of the agencies, but
there has scarcely been any case, which
l have investigated, that required from
me the suggestion of reduction in
price, and am satisfied that, as gen
eral thing, the profit accruing to the
towns is but slight. In some of thu
larger towns they seem to have gone
upon the principle of acquiring work
| ing capital, as, for instance at Castleton
where they have accumulated about a
thousand dollars, which must enable
them, even at the present high prices, to
keep a good stock of liquors Oh hand
| purchased for cash.
Respectfully submitted,
E. d. SELDEN,