The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-15
THE STATE DlSPENSARY.
The Profit Feature to Be Eliminated in
The Future.

At recent meeting of the Board of
Control ofthe State Dispensary rules
were adopted defining the duties of
the various officers and employees OF
the Dispensary, and these rules will
be stringently enforced, and the Board
will not view with leniency any in
fringement of them by any one from
commissioner to porter. At its next
meeting the State Board will appoint
county boards of control in all the
counties of the State, as the old boards
cannot continue to serve under the
new law unless reappointed. The
members of the various county boards
will most likely be made members of
the new boards, except those against
whom substantiated complaints are
made. Changes will not be made ex-
cept where the Board has reason to
believe that they will be beneficial.
At the next meeting the Board will
take up the question of the enforce
ment Of the law by the county dispen-
sers and will adopt rules for their gov
ernment. The aim of the board will
be to devise such rules as will result
in an administration of the law as
will make the most of its beneficial
features and restrict the consumption
of liquor as much as possible. The
county dispensers can begin to prepare
at once for these rules; if they do not
obey them to the letter, and in the
spirit as we'll, the Board will officially
decapitate them without the slightest
hesitation or regret. The Board is de-
termined to run the dispensary system
without a single loose screw. The
Board did not discuss the prices at
which liquors shall be sold in the
county dispensaries; that matter will
be attended to at the May meeting.
Some attention was paid to the tour
list hotel and beer privileges, but action
was deferred until the next meeting in
order to give the Board opportunity to-
examine into the operation of those
privileges:-fhe was no complaint
against the granting of those privileg-
es, but there were some charges that
those privileges have been abused by
some of those to whom they have
been granted. If the Board finds that
this is the case, it is likely that it
will take away the privilege from the
person so abusing it. This warning
should be sufficient to make those who
have these privileges comply strictly
with the terms upon which they were
granted. The Board is thoroughly in
earnest and will not be triaed with by
anybody.
In reference to the complaints of the
whiskey drummers that they were
not given chance to 60 before the
Board and present the merits of their
goods, Mr.. Douthit said that it was i'm
possible for the Board to allow them
to do so, for it was exceedingly busy
with the work of organizing and get
ting an insight into the business which
they must conduct and which they are
determined to conduct successfully.
In deciding on the purchases which
were made yesterday the board was
guided almost wholly by the requests
Of the county dispensers for shipments
of liquors for those requests showed
which liquors were most in favor with
the people, and they had taken that as
an index as to the comparative value
of the whiskies.
He said he did not think it would
be worth while for the drummers to
return to be present at the meeting in
May, for the purchases of liquor until
next fall would be small owing to the
fact that the sales fall off during the
summer months. The Board, howev-
er, would be glad to have the various
houses send in bids next month, &C.
companied with samples of the goods
offered. For the present, however,
the Board will be guided largely by
the demand of the purchasing public
for the various kinds of liquors.
Chairman Jones confirmed allthat
Mr.. Douthit had said. He further re.
marked that he wanted it plainly un.
derstood that the Board of Control in
its operation of the dispensary Law
would endeavor to emphasize the NOR
al features of the law; the dispensary
will not be run for proft-if profits
are made, al we'll and good, but profit
will be an incident and not the object.
No false economy will be practiced
the best liquors will be purchased and
furnished the people as cheaply as
possible; the board will not furnish
mean, cheap liquor in order to make
big profits and have the patrons of the
dispensary abusing them. The people
will be given the liquor they like and
given at reasonable prices.
Mr.. Knapp Expelled.
LONDON, April 9.-The Post will to
morrow publish confirmation of the
report that Rev. Geo. P. Knapp, one