The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-02-20

decreased forty and six-sevcn tbs
per cont.
1t must be observed that this do
crease Is not for the entire period since
tho enactment Of the law, but for the
past year. Compared with the pre-
ceding year IS per cent. may bo added
as reasonable estimate for tho pro-
ceding year. 1t is quite encouraging
to the friends of the law to note tho
general change Of sentiment OF most of
the towns in its favor. The country
has always been unit in favor of the
law, and has demanded it's strict en-
forcemcnt The bitterest enemies of
the system now admit that morally
speaking it is a grand success.
| THE DISPENSARY AS A BUSINESS.
| In 1928 there wero in tho State
sixty-nine dispensaries.
Total auount purchased by
tnem ......... ........ ..........S 0ll 800 w
Sales at invoice price........ 573,578 38
Total sales to consumers. 679, ,222 SS
Gross prOtlts......... .......... 1855 40
Expenses &c, $50 10
Net FRONTS. .................. 76,775 70
The operation Of the State and
county dispensaries for tho past year
have been peculiarly successful. The
volume OF business has greatly increas-
ed. The sales OF the county dispensers
Tor the eleven mouths ending Decem-
Der 81, amounted to nearly one mil
lion one hundred Thousand dollars. 1t
is not to be inferred from the increased
sales OF the dispensaries that the con-
sumption OF intoXicants Is on the
Increase, for the statistics which |
have already given clearly provo the
Incorporate use OF intoxicants is on
the decrease. That the dispenaery is
d potent factor in the great moral
reformation 1 venture no unbiased
mind will dispute. The Increased sales
by the d'spensaries are accounted for
from the fact that the force and bit
ter opposition to the dispsnsary law
which has hitherto existed has llrgely
subsidized in its intensity and the sober
second thought of law-abiding citizens
has disclosed the fact that thsir un-
reasonable opposition to law design
ed for the protection OF tho morals OF
judiced and misconceived idea Of
personal liberty than aught else.
With this return OF reason and the
exhaustion OF the supply OF barroom
whiskey came in largo degree 8
cessation of the bitter hostilities to
the law, and as result the traffic in
liquors was directed to it's legitimate
channels, and public sentiment cry
stalled about the dispensary law as
the wiscst and most practicable solu-
tion Of the whiskey problem. The
eleven months ending December 81
amounted to 1875 5000; the sales by
county dispensaries for the same
period amounted to 81 ,076, 9G3 IS at a
s,gross profit Of $2Ol 1888 as. The net
profit that has accrued to the State
from the operation Of the State dispen-
sary for the eleven months ending
December 81 amounts to Sl33, ,4G7.77,
and tho net profits to the towns and
counties from the operations of the
sub-dispensarics for tho corresponding
pei iod amounts to SlOG, 1928, making
q total of accrued profits to the State
and towns and counties for the eleven
months Of $239, 5000. Adding the
$25, ,57l.S5 unearned profit due the
State on goods in hands of county dis
ponsarics at the close of tho past year
it would swell the total OF earned and
unearncd profits to the State and
towns and counties for the eleven
months to tho amount of, $265, 17O.90.
The net profit accruing to the State
as revised to December 81 from the
beginning Of tho operations of the
dispensai y to the eaclose of ex-Commis-
oiOnCI fdAlCI G0llu Oh JuDudFY 81,
1895, amounted to $l1O,34S.8O. Added
to this the net accrued profit of $l33,-
1917 for tho period of eleven months
from February to December 81, 1895,
makes total of net accrued profits to
tho State from the operation of the
State dispensary TO the amount OF
$243, ,S1G.57.
The books of the State Commissioner
as Is shown III his annual REPORT, and
also Nv the special legislative cxamin-
ing Coz: nittee, show that at the close
OF tho past year the total assets, at
cost prlco, OF the State dspensary
were $3l4, 4,O70.2l, and the total liabili-
tics $40, ,2j3 81. Those assets consist
o.:
\/hSn .............,, 81, lO7 O3
Wines and liquors at the
State dispensary ....... 55,G3t 56
Teams and wagons............ 800 65
Machinery and office fix
turcs......... ................... 1856 II
Bottles, corks and cooper
age ...."............. 26,5Sl 43
Cash loaned to tho State
Traa4nrer;;. .....""..".... $4,000 90
Wines ana liquors at sub
dispc cnsaris. .............. 1lG,235 G5
Personal accounts. S,057 IS
Making total available as
sets oi. ............... $3l4, ,O7O "a
Outstanding against these assets are
liabilities 10 the amount OF $40 253 81,
which is duo by tho State for wines
and liquors purchased, making net
bllancr nf assets above liabilities OF
81 H. 3 l6 81, which amount reDrescpts