The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-02
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
Owed by the South Carolina Dis
pcnsarY TO The school Fund.

Owed by the South Carolina Dis
pcnsary to the school Fund.
Columbia, S. c.. Dec. THE financial
statements of the dispensary have been
matters which uninitiated experts and
lnymen have labored over for four years
without satisfactory result. Thee has
been no way of getting at the actual prof
its. The earned profits paid the unearned
profits, and the earned but unpaid, being
factors hard to reduce to a satisfactory
cash balance.
Gov. Tillman's estimate, it will be re
membered, was $25OOOO for the state the
first year, and $500 900 each succeeding
year-which would reduce the taxes lust
one-half. dispensary official on the "in-
Side,' after going over the figures care
fully, became communicative to reporter.
and gave some long desired information,
which will be valuable to the members of
the legislature when they meet next
month.
''The total profits" he said, according
to the books from the Inauguration of the
dispensary, July, 1898, to Oct 1, 1897.
amounts to $553311. But of this amount
$4,000 has been paid into the state treas
ury, $2S8,OOO being still due. That is the
whole thing in nutshell
The dispensary now has to its credit
$4,000, one-third of which the board in
tends to pay into the treasury to the credit
OF the school fund in few DAYS The
present stock in state and county dlspen-
sarles may be valued at 100000 in round
numbers. If no accident happened to the
stock and the dispensary have tor close
out, l feel certain the dispensary could
hquidate and have a very handsome bo-
nus left.
When the constitutional convention met
II was claimed that there was $4,000 in
back profits. on April l, 1896 when the
board of control elected by the previous
legislature, to take the MANAGEMENT of
the business out of the hands of the gov
ernor and commissioner, Commissioner
MiXson's figures showed an increase profit
of S236,OO. 1t was only then that the
$4,000 borrowed from the state to start
the business was paid back.
The constitutional convention provides
that all profits accrued after that date
should be paid to the school fund. Since
then $3l1,00O have accrued. OF this ac-
crued fund due the public schools, only
$25,O10 has been paid in, and $4,000 more
will be paid next week. This will leave
1921, 600 yet to be collected by the dispen-
sary in accrued profits and paid into
the school fund to which it is due.
According to its own statement there
fore, the dispensary is in debt TO the
school fund over a quarter of a million
dollars, which is due it from profits in
liquor tied up in county dispensaries or
sold and not yet settled for.
This will furnish the legislatu re with
definite data on which to make an es-
innate of the difference between dispen-
sary profits under the most favorable con-
ditions and the income to the state under
a high license system.
Just now Gov. Ellerbe and Senator TILL
man are the only prominent outspoken
champions of the dispensary. The sena-
tor says he is confident of getting his bill
through congress at the coming session.
which will nullify Judge Simonton's de-
cision, even if they are sustained by the
supreme court.
The prohibihonists, in view of the APP
preaching fight, are becoming active
Chairman L. d. Childs of the prohibition
executive committee was asked last night
about the outlook for his party. He con-
sidered he said that an opportune time
had arrived for making a fight all along
the line. At present the anti-liquor forces
are, he said, in process of close organiZa-
ton in every quarter of the state. 1--WE
expect" continued Mr. Childs, ito form
a thorough organization in every com
munity and make the fight as it should be
made" The executive committee will be
called to meet early this month, and be-
fore the general assembly meets a strong
address will be issued to the people of the
state.
"Unquestionably, the prohibitionists are
in better shape to make winning fight
than ever before-the liquor men being dis
organized"