The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-03-11
REPLY FROM MR.. MIXS0N.
THE LIQUOR COMMISSIONER AN
SWERS THE STATE TREASURER.
He Claims that the Dispensary has Been
a Profitable Institution--Some Figures to
Substautiate Bis Assertion.

! Profitable Institution-Some Figures to
Substsntiate Bis Assertion.
Editor Register: But for the last
paragraph contained in State Treasur-
er Bates communication touching the
proposed changes in the Dispensary
law and published in today's issue of
your valuable paper would not have
one word to say in replj !. And my
objection to that paragraph IS not so
much in what he said as in what he
did not say and the false construction
which the average reader places there
on. It has been misunderstood by
great many as meaning that the State
Treasurer had made the bold assertion
that the dispensary had not made
dollar Of net profit for the months OF
November and December; and this IN
the face Of my special report Of assets
and liabilities aud profits and losses
covering these two months, which is
to be found on pages q and IS Of my
annual report, and is also verified and
confirmed by the special legislative
committee, whose report also can be
found on pages lis to 1l9, inclusive,
IN the same report.
For the two months OF November
aud December, the gross profits Of the
State Dispensary were s102,S72 ll-and
the total expenses for the same period
were s66 242 05, making net profit
on the sales for the two months OF
$50, $50 06, whilst the ret profit which
accrued to the State during the months
of November and Decembe was S33,-
566 81. Adding to this the unearned
profit of $25, 571 S5 on goods in the
hands of county Dispensers on De-
cember 3lst makes an earned ana un-
earned profit for the two months of
$50, 1879. On December 3lst the to-
tai assets Of the State Dispensary we're
1914, 4,070.24 and the total liabilities
$40, 253 81. The difference between the
assets and liabilities is a balance of
$243 SIG. 81, which is the net accrued
profit to December 3lst Of this
amount, Sl10,34S.S 50 represents the net
accrued profit for the eighteen months
Mr.. Traxler was commissioner and
s133, 467T represents the net accrued
profit for the eleven months under my
management The net accrued profits
for the two months of November and
December were greater than the prof
its OF any previous quarter g months)
save one, in the history OF the Dlspen-
sary, as is evidenced by the following
statement:
Net accrued profit for three months
ending April 80, SIS, ,327.66
Net accrued profit for three months
ending July 81, S3l, ,066.65.
Net accrued profit for three months
ending October 81, $50, ,507.12.
Net accrued profit for two months
ending December 81, S33, $50 81.
Net accrued profit for three months
ending December 81, $133, 467.77.
OF my net profit of 1888, 1877, one
hundred thousand dollars has been
paid over to State Treasurer Bates and
by him used in defraying the general
expenses of the State government
Fifty thousand of this amount was IN
liquidation of the State appropriation
for starting the business, and the re-
naming fifty thousand was in the ma
ture of loan to the State paid out OF
the commercial capital of the dispen.
sary which had accumulated under
my management. This loan was made
from the dispensary fund at a time
when the State was out of funds and
was compelled to have money with
which to meet the current expenses OF
the State government and by being
able to draft on the dispensary funds
to that amount, the State was saved
the expense of interest. Since Novem-
Der the 1st, Nhe time the $4,000 was
advanced to the State Treasurer) |
have had to purchase heavily of IL
quors to meet the demands of the win
ter trade and, in consequence have
had to meet heavy drafts, and at a
time when I had lessened my CONNER
cial capital by $50, 1000. This loan was
made by me in defence to request
from the State Board of control. |
At the time the loan was made,
had to my credit in the State Treasury
and in the banks s104. 422 "a. Ny to-
tai liabilities were ST., 1877 SIS, OR a
working cash capital of more than
$4,000 after paying every dollar OF
outstanding Indebtedness. But at that
time when $4,000 was drawn from
my cash surplus, I was in less time
than it takes to write it and by the
stroke of a pen placed in the position
of owing, in round numbers, $50, 600
more for merchandise and supplies
than I had cash with which to pay.
But in that short time I have sutiicl-
emily recouped to be enabled IN the
near future to again commence plac.
ing on deposit greater amount than
will be necessary to meet future out
standing indebtedness.
AS to the State Treasurer's prophecy
that the honorable members of the
General Assembly will make mis-
take in basing their tax levy in &C.
cordance with the idea that the State
Dispensary will pay into the State
Treasury within the next fiscal year
one hundred thousand dollars, | have
to say that, in my humble judgment,
it is a manifestation of wisdom on
their part to assume that that amount
will have accumulated within that
time, and they will not be disappoint,
ed in their assumption. | think my
intimate connection with, and manage.
ment of the dispensary for the past
year justifes me in saying that my
prediction of its capabilities and re-
sources should outweigh those OF any
other man not officially connected
Herewith. So far as the honorable
State Treasurer's complaints against
those provisions of the proposed new
dispensary law whereby his office will
be made to do certain portions OF the
details of the dispensary business, l
have to say that l am in no wise re-
sponsible therefor. On the contrary,
when the suggestions were first made,
I opposed them strenuous y, purely on
the grounds of unfeaslbillty and busl