The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-05-07
No OiSpensay Profits This Year.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONLY GET
NET EARNINGS.
superintendent Mayncld Says tho
DisDcnsnry System is Too Costly
He Suggests II New and More Eco
nomicnl Plan Of Selling Liquor.
Special to the News and Courier.


nomical Plan Of Selling Liquor.
Special to the News and Courier.
The superintendent of Education
has advanced q new plan of solving
the liquor problem. Coming us it does
from one Of the leading Reformcrs Of
tho State it will be special interest.
In recent address ut the Alliance
picnic at Cane Creek, Itichlund county,
Mr.. Mayfeld discussed tho progress
OF education in tho State for tho past
lew years, and showed what had boon
done by citing Clemson College, Win
throp College, South Carolina College,
the Citadel, Furman, Woiford, Now
berry, Erskino, Charleston and I'LL OF
tho female colleges OF the State and
the condition Of the public schools.
He then discussed the future prospects
of the schools. While discussing this
he was interrupted by someone in the
audience, who wished to know If it
were true that the public shoots would
run six months. MIR. Maylield said it
! was not true, and showed why it could
not be true by calling attention to the
| TACT that tho school funds could not
| possibly be increased moro than one
| third over what they arc now. He
stated that tho amount from the poll
tax would not likely exceed the amount
now raised from that source, and that
the poll tax at present was about one
third Of the whole school tax, and that
the three mills would only increase
the total tax by about one-third.
Another pcrson then asked how q
sufficient fund could be raised to run
the schools as long as was necessary.
Mr.. Mayfold stated that there were
but Two ways to do this. One way was
for the country districts to do like the
cities and towns OF the State are doing
and that Is Tor the people Of q district
to vote an extra tax on themselves,
which the now Constitution and the
new law permitted thom to do provid-
od they do not exceed four mills extra
tax. Mr.. Maytield said the other way
was to mako use of the net income
from the disp"nsary as far as it went
This brought up the question rs tc
what the schools would receive from
the dispcnsary fund this year. Mr..
Maytiold said that under the recent
Act OF the Legislature the schools
would get nothing from this source
this year, as the States net profits
were to be credited to tho schools, but
tho schools were to be charged with
an equal amount from the general dis
pensary account and that the money
would go into the State treasury for
general purposes, and that the schools
would not got ono cent this year from
that source. Mr.. Maylield responded
to further question by saying that
the schools need not look for any
revenue from the dispcnsary for at
least two years, as the profit for this
year would not equal the general dis
pcnsary account with which it is being
charged; that the net dispensary
income was such an uncertain quantity
that it would not be safe to count on it
lor any purpose until it was already in
hand, and therefore it would never do
to run the schools and expect to pay
the school claims from the dispensary
net proceeds. Owing to this uncer-
tainty and delay, q MIR. Mayfcld said
he could give the people no assurance
M to when they would receive any part
OF the dispensary profit Mr.. May field
expressed great regret that the pco-
pie who had been depending on the
tax and thrce-mill tax TO givo them
longer sessions and better schools
would have TO be disappointed SO ia,
as the dispcnsary profits were con
ccrncd. He said the law and circum
stances over which he had no cOntro
; made this the case.
This brought up the question as t(
how this uncertainty and delay coul(
be avoided. MIR. Maylield was ask et
to explain this if he could, and he re
piled, that under the present law ant
the present system unIcr which tft
dlspensary had to bc run there was NJ
Immediate relief that he could SEQ
Mr. Mayfeld strongly favored the en-
| inf ri
law az long as it remained the law
lie earnestly declared himself in favor
OF the dispensary idea This state
ment indicated that he favored diff
ferent plan to the one now in force
and in response to Il question he re
affirmed that he had always favore,
the idea, but did not think the prescn
system the best one that could b,
found. He said he had never though
that the best plan for carrying out The
dispcnsary idea had been adopted ant
that he had always favored another
plan, which was a very different one
from tho one now in operation. Ht
said it was not his purpose to criticist
tho present dispcnsary law, but he
thought his plan if it were given {
trail would provo to be II very mucl
more satisfactory ard better one. He
gave an outline Of his plan, saying
that to go into details fully would
take too long. Briefly stated, it wa:
as follows:
| MIR. MAYFIELD'S PLAN.
There should be q separate and dis
tinCt State department created to look
after this business, with chief ollicc,
who should bo called State Inspector
four deputy inspectors, with the power
vested in tho State Inspector to appoint
as many. additional deputy inspectors
as occasion might demand, Cooking to
the opening up OF the business and
extra occasions, all to be on salary and
| bonded officers. He estimated that the
total expense Of this department need
not exceed $1,000 per annum, which
was q very small amount compared
with what is spent in running the
present syStpm.
That no liquor should be sold in any
county, or city, or town, on place th at
was dry by statute.
That no liquor should be sod cxcopt
within Incorporated cities and towns
which we're not dry hy law, and that