The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-02-03

teTSSG Ol tuo SldlS suu W ~ oS' 90 "
best conserve the welfare of the whole
people.
REBATES.
Our purchases, we opsider, have
been made judiciously, and in price
and quality will compare most favor
ably, with purchases made by our pre-
decessors. In the one item of rebates
there have been saved to the State In
the past year more than forty-one
thousand dollars.
By the last of this month every debt
which we owe will have matured and
been laid, and we will have more than
$4OO, 900 of quick assets, independent
| ly of all funds in the State treasury,
which will be absolutely freed of all
liability.
There are on the books of the dis.
pensary several thousand dollars of
shortages due by ex dispensers, most
of which occurred prior to the begin.
ming of our terms of Office. These
shortages are in the hands Of the At.
torney General and some are now in
process of settlement.
ACCOUNTS OF COUNTY DISPENSERS.
We have a most satisfactory system
of checking the accounts of county
dispensers. Of the ninety dispensers
| in the State we keep an itemized ac-
count of their daily purchases, sales
and cash transactions and from their
weekly and monthly reports, certified
by the county boards of control, we
make up their accounts monthly at
the central office. It is a work of
great magnitude. as it is practically
keeping books for ninety dispensers,
aside from the books of the central OF
fee. On assuming charge we found
that our bookkeeper had this heavy
task to perform alone and as a result
was overworked. It was expecting too
much of human endeavor to expect
one man to properly perform so great
an amount of work that extended
through so many ramihcations. Con-
suquently we have employed addition
al clerical force and every county dis.
penser is promptly checked at the end
of each week.
We beg to report that the charges
of wrong doing in the past manage.
ment of the dispensary were prompt
lily investigated by this board, con-
jointly with the Legislative examin-
ing board.
A committee, consisting of a mem
Der OF this board and member of the
Legislative examining committee, was
sent to Cincinnati for the purpose OF
a further investigation of these char.
yes, and, after exhausting all efforts,
found no convicting proof.
The same member of this board and
the Attorney General subsequently
went to Baltimore in a further prose
cution of this investigation and expe'
rienced similar result. All the pa
pers bearing on this investigation are
in our possession, and we will be glad
to turn them over to any committee
which your honorable body in its
wisdom may see fit to appoint for a
further investigation of these charges.
| AMENDMENTS RECOMMENDED.
In the nature of amendments to the
present dispensary Act we would re.
spectfully recommend the following !:
/, That the compensation of the
State board of control shall be fixed
by the General Assembly, and that
all other officers and employees of the
State dispensary, including the com :
missioner and chemist, shall be ap.
pointed by the State board of control
and their duties defined and compen-
sation fixed by said board.
Q. That the State board of control
shall fix the bonds of all employees,
and shall have the bonds made paya.
BILE to said State board of control and
shall have the custody of said bonds,
and shall be the final arbiters of the
validity of said bonds.
8. That all special privileges to tou-
rist hotels require that they shall sell
only to bona ide registered guests of
the hotel, and that they sell only dur.
ing the constitutional hours, from
sun. up to sundown, and that they be
not allowed to sell on Sundays.
4. That stocktaking and examina.
ton of the books of the State dispen-
sary be required semi-annually, in
stead of quarterly, as is now required
by law.
All of which is respectfully sub.
mitted,
Willie Jones, Chairman,
L. J. Williams,
J. B. Douthit,
10. A. Moore
State Board of Control.
S. W. Scruggs, Clerk.
Comparative statement of assets and
liabilities for the fiscal year ending
December 81, 1896:
ASSETS.
Ex. dispensers shortages. ....$ 1858 sc
Personal accounts due State
for tax-pays on bonded
spirits and empty barrels. 1O,459 q
Teams and wagons. 1924 19
Machinery and Office fxt-
ures .................... 2,S57 Al
Cash in State treasury..... 1926 Al
Merchandise at State dispen-
Gnyentory).. 1o1, 1868 "a
Supplies at State dispensary
Inventory y)..........,.. 1884 IL
Merchandise in hands of
county dispensers....... 217,791 81
Total assets. 513 46
LIABILITIES.
Personal accounts due by
State. 63, 1893 O5
General fund. ...... ....... 1,532 AZ