The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-09-23
Who Got These Rebates ?
Facts For the Investigating
Committee.

w uiI0 tu0 uISpOuSo'J 'o'0otiE o''oo
was going merrily on 10 Columbia last
night there was gentlemen in Charles
ton who had stories to tell wherein
alleged bad management was made
clear. Just where this information
came from is best, for business reasons,
to be withheld, but the facts are all on
Gle and if necessary eau be produced on
very short notice.
1t has long been a matter of specula.
ton why the dispeusary should pay
more for bottles than was previously
dooe. Early in the spring it was
stated that the dispensary needed ten
or more carloads 9. TASKS and bottles to
be packed d,,dng the summer season
while the glass factories we're closed.
Complete specifications and samples Of
bottles and skeleton packing case, such
as are uow used. we're given to respon-
sible parties, with Instructions to quote
the price on green bottles of certain
weights aud in carload lots to be de-
livered in Columbia. The positive
assurance was given that the green
ware, which had been extensively used
at the dispensary, was more satisfactory
than the flint ware. also in use Mr..
Scruggs and Mr.. CASTOR are both on
record as having complained to several
narties about the Indifferent ware being
furnished by house iu Indiana.
Acting on this certain responsible
bouse 10 New York submitted speci6ca-
ton in green ware Of better quality
than the dispeDsary had been asing.
At the May meeting of the present
board of control bids we're received ac
cordiog to these specifications at the
following prices: Half pink TASKS,
9 ounces in weight, at 81 As per gross ;
pin, TASKS, 16 ounces, 50 80 per gross;
quarts. 21 ounces, $6 IS per gross
These we're the weights desired by the
board. The board a, the same time
called to the attention of the manufac-
turers that the bottles they had been
using weighed less. although the fret
contract made with them specified the
above weights.
Here is what the dispensary people
received: Half pints. 8 ounces; pints,
only lS ounces: quarts 10 ounces. Car
load after carload Of these goods were
sent. The prices paid we're: Half
pints 50 so, pints $3.50, quarts 81
The attention of the boad was called
to this shortage 10 the weight The
New York house offered to furnish
these weights Of the finest quality Of
green ware at $240 for half piuts,
1915 for pints and S6.75 for quarts
It was somewhat strange that after the
dispensary had used hundreds of cars
of the green ware from some Of the
best glass manufacturers in the coun-
try that they should suddenly discover
the necessity Of paying SO much higher
prices for flint ware at $3.50 for half
pints. $4.25 for piu;s and $3.50 for
quarts. Sixty cars at this price are
said to haye been ordered from parties
10 Balti, e. and ten cars from the
house in 4ldiana. This is quite an TO-
crease over the estimated ten that we're
| wanted for summer bottling. 1t has
| been said that the style Of packing
which is in wooden skeleton cases
, makes this difference 10 the cost, but
this is not the only reason for such an
advance, as is proved by the fact chat
the bids made for the green ware called
for the same packing, aud the prices
were for delivery 10 Columbia.
While bottles and corks are very
| small part of the purchases of the dis
pensary compared With whlsksy aud
| beer. aud it is matter Of general in-
| terest all the same Why they should
pay more for corks than they could
have gotten them direct from the manu-;
factures f.. Il has been said repeat
edly that duriog the first year Of the
dispensary omethipg over Sc 600 was
| spent for corks. At that time corks
were sold in large quantities BY the
various leading cork manufacturers at a
discount of 80 and 100 per cent from
the list price. Quotations we're given
the dispensary people at these prices,
but it seems that they preferred to buy
at IS per cent discount from the list.
This would make difference of many
hundred dollars in a little matter of
corks. Some people who keep track
! of such matters say this was dooe to ac-
commodate a few friends 10 Ciuoin-
natl.
The bottom of the whole business is
that the dispeusary decided to get Alnt
ware and it might be we'll to state just
here that the flint ware was purchased
from the Pennsylvania Glass Company,
of Anderson, Ind. and that MIR. j. St.
Julian Yates acted as their agent in
making the sale The News and Cou-