The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-10-12

sales made from the State dispensary
building in small quantities to "a mum
Der OF parties of all ages and color
who brought pitchers, buckets, etc,
VIC refor you to the sworn testimony.
We desire also to direct your careful
attention to the evidence, showing
that the building has boen found open
at night that, on one occasion, three
barrels Of whiskcy have been found at
night On tho platform, and allowed to
remain there that night, the next
day (beiug Sunday aud the following
night.
Another feature Of our investigation
into matters pertaining to contraband
seizures, not considering tho contra.
band liquors which are dumped and
bottled and shipped to the various dis
pensarios OF the State, VIC find that the
sales Of COntraband goods arc largely
confined to two local dispensers in the
city OF Columbia, and we further find
that su, h goods have bccn sold cheap.
or to the consumers by local dispou-
serS than they are invoiccd to dispen-
Scrs.
We would invite tho consideration
OF the board to a practice which, ac-
cOrding to the sworn testimony OF the
dispensary employees, has been car
|
Commissioner Douthit, known as
"changing of labels" on whskey
shipped to the local dispensers.
1t seems, from the testimony, that
under Instructions from Commissioner
| Douthit, that one firms labels wore
ordered to be placed on another firms
whiskey, and that high grade labels
| have been placed on lower braUd Of
goods.
Ia this connection Superintendent
! Bryant says: "Yes, l put up whiskey
in bottles with one firms whiskoy with
another firms labels, but it was under
instructions from Commissioner Dou
thit." He further tcstilios that Lana
hans labels were placed on the goods
Of the Wilson Distilling company.
CAN'T says; eyes, wbiskey is bot
tod with one firms label and with
another firms whiskey. have never
known him to put a label on whiskcy
where the label was cheaper than the
whiskey. We put \ corn whiskey with
labels OF XXN."
King tostilics that whiskey WAS put
up last Saturday, aud xxx label WIS
used, but the firm name, Wilson
Distlling Co.." was struck Off.
Barnhardt, the assistant supcrin-
tcndcnt, testified that &: 81 have never
known him to put q label on whiskcy
where the label was cheaper than the
whiskcy. Have known him to put on
as high as xxx label on Grover whis-
kcy-which | have beard is y goods.
| hAve kept the record OF these changes.
| This Las been IN practice during Mr..
DOuthiCs administration. They put up
Growers whiskey Saturday morning
with Wilson's labcls, but tho name
| Wilson was struck OIL"
6. II. Charles, assistant DoOkkecpcr,
| states that Growers whiskcy is classcd
as y corn whiskCy, and the difference
in the price Of y aud xxx corn TO con-
sumcrs is 81 per gallon"
We conceive it to be our duty to re-
port tho facts to the board as they
really appear, but in our finding the
conclusion cannot be escaped that lhiS
scheme OF changing the labels on
whiskey shipped out could have been
devised for no other purpose than to
create Is way for collecting more money
for the goods sent ont to the local dis
pcnscrs than the same were irvoiccd
| for to the commissioner Dnd, further,
To create the impression on the mem
| bcrs OF the board that certain brands
arc becoming moro popular, they
being hard to keep in stock"
| We finds that this practice OF chang
| ing labels is not only done for the rea
sons stated, but it is absolutely indie
| fensiblc from any standpoint, and con-
travcnes the spiri. and letter Of the
law, and candor cOmpcls us to add it
| has unqucstionably worked fraud on
| the people Of South Carolina.
We suggest Immediate action in this
| matter, and IL this practice Is now
| being carried on that it &c forthwith
stopped.
We further find that the practice Of
su DstitutiOn OF orders has been in vogue
under Mr.. Douthits administratinn-
orders have been substituted when re-
ceived from the city Of Charleston and
elsewhere in the State.
We find that, on tho order OF the
commissioners, without authority from
the board, or without the commission
cr ever having reported his action to
tho board, siXty-nine cases OF wines
were transferred from Dispenser Sto.
thart to Dispenser Stelling, in Char
lesion, on July 11th. The price was re-
duccd to one dollar per case whom ;ho
transfer was made. And exclusive Of
this, by order Of the commissioner, 6
further unauthorized reduction was
made to the cxtcnt OF $2S7.l5 in sulcs
OF Brook Hill and Moore wincs. These
matters resulted in Il clear loss TO the
State Of tho sum OF &lo2 IS.
We lnd that the commissioner
changed the price list, Issuing " new
one Of August lst, without any author
ity from the board and without ever
ever reporting his action to the boart
for It's approval or disapproval, result
ing in a loss to tho State Of twelve pc
centum.
j. DUDLEY HASELDEN.
II. G.. ROBINSON,
Committee.
TEn rnn0rt Of tho nnm ittnn un