The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-08
A STEP FARTHER ON.
State Agencies Now Proposed For
the Sale of Liquor,
SAID TO BE THE ONLY Hay

TO Completely Control the Drinking
OF Liquor as n BsveraEe-What the
state Temperance UniOn Once Pro-
posed.
Kansas people believe in prohibition,
but there are large number of Kansas
people who are of the opinion that we
have not yet adopted the best method for
handling the liquor traffic.
The drug store system is generally adj
mitted to be poor way of handling the
contraband stuff
Rev. R. Wake, the we'll known Metho-
dist preacher and temperance advocate,
favors the state agency plan instead OF
the present drug store system and Mr..
Wake says the leaders of the state tenn
perance union were at one time in favor
of the state agency plan, but the politi-
clans Influenced them into accepting the
drug store system instead.
| In talking about this to STATE JOUR-
NAL reporter Rev. Mr.. Wake. said: sit
was at the meeting of the State Temper
ance Union in 1881, which was held to
prepare a suitable law under which to
work the prohibitory amendment that
the state agency plan was so nearly
adopted.
Il was chairman of a committee APP
pointed by the union to prepare a bill
and the bill prepared was for the control
| of the liquor traffic through state and
| local agencies.
"a. B. Campbell, James A. Troutman,
Amanda Way and Scion o. Thacher were
the other members of the committee, al
though Judge Thacher did not meet
with the committee.
1.-THE members Of the committee all
agreed to the report for the state agency
plan, but when it was submitted to the
union the politicians killed it and adopt
| ed the present drug store system.
! "The bill which our committee pre-
| pared provided first that there should be
a state board Of control to be composed OF
the Governor, auditor, state treasurer,
| and two other members selected by the
state official members.
ssThis board of control was to appoint
a state agent who would have his Office
and headquarters in Topeka, and he was
to purchase all liquors to be used in the
state for mechanical, medicinal and sci
entidc purposes.
"The state agent was TO appoint local
agents in each center of population, and
the local agents were to be supplied by
the state agent.
"The state agent and all the local
agents were to be paid salary for hand
ling the liquor, and the state agent was
to sell it at an advance of Is per cent
over the original cost to the state; which
it was figured, would pay all the salaries
of all agents and all the other expenses
Of handling the traffic, and extra profits
to be turned over to the board of control
"Each local agent would be on a salary
and would be compelled to sell all the
liquors at prices fixed by the state agent
''This would take the element of profit
out of the liquor business, and there
would not be the inducement to violate
the law there is now.
sour bill provided for state chemis
to examine all the liquors ard see tina
they were absolutely pure
"AIl liquors sent out by the state agen
were to bear his seal, and all liquors
found in transit not bearing his seal were
to be declared contraband and confiscateC
by the state.
81 still favor this plan and it has since
been endorsed by DR.. D. c. Miner, al
though he was opposed to it at the time
I believe that the state agency plar
would be much better than our presen
drug store system and I favor change
to the state agency system as the only
way to do away with illegal selling o
liquor. The state agency plan will take
the element of profit out of the Liquor
business and prohibition under that sys
tenn will more nearly prohibit then thar
| It does nnvv0