The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-10


people insist. Let the wstchwcrd %.
porslity is above the dollar.
MAYOR AGREE TALKS or
DIsPENsARY REGULATIONS.
The paper OF Mayor Cochrane was re-
ceived and Hon. J. l.. AGREE. mayor Of
Dothan. was then introduced TO reao
paper on The Dispensary.
Mr. President and Gentlemen: me di.-
pensary in Alabama 10 no longer an eA,
pertinent 1t has passed that staSe q! ~
is now a fixture: the only aucsuUm, , .,nr
need now be considered IL its rceuise'o"
and mana cement.
The dispersary. the uInic!pal control
and regulation of the sale OF intoxicatins
iiu,tor has for it's corner stone the fact
that the individual is going to nave sucn
intoxicants If he wants them. and that
therefore, under the present conditioh OF
public and individual sentiment e De
comes the duty of the munieipaluy 20
recognize this and adopt the very nsss
means In its power to reduce the evsls
arising from the use and sale or alcohoi
to a minimum. I shall not enter inru
discussion of the correctness OF TINS Prin-
ciplc: municipal authorities OF this state
at least will no doubt bear me out Ihe
m ,raIist must decide the matter for him
The Supreme Court hol II the dispensary
to be a police regulation. ana therefors
not I'm conflict with the Constitution OF
the State of Alabama; whether II wouln
otherwise do 80 does not concern ue, cut
is a matter for the political economist TO
discuss and theorize upon.
The dspensary should by all means De
kent a police regulation and 1t Is dis.
tinctIy as such that its superiority over
the open saloon or legal, but fnenective,
prohibition has ocen demonstrated; YET
the financial results to the municipality -
9 factor that will not and should .s. not s ne
cial returns from the State convict sys-
TEN.
The law establishing and regulating q
dispensary should be local In detail; not
general; an act that would be ideal for
the villa ge> might not be adapted to the
city Hike Mobile. Birmingham or Mont
gomery.
The Constitution of 1901 recently adopt
ed and under which we now live, very
wisely recognizes this and by special. pro-
vision permits the Legislature TO enact
local laws upon the liquor question, not
withstanding II took local legislation
away from the Legislature on nearly ev-
cry other matter; not only 1t Is necessary
to consider local conditions in framing
bill but such bill can be and should
be 50 drawn as to minimize the danger
from drifting into politics, whereas ex-
perience and observation teaches that 1t
is almost impossible to. frame a general
bill that will not at once put the matter
to the political front. We need only to
look to South Carolina as evidence OF
this. -.
Red Tape" Not Needed. ii
The law should be so framed as to be
full and specific in essential details and
to leave no cause or tempta ton to violate
or nullify it's safeguards and restrictions:
yet 1t should not have too much red
tape nor be unnecessarily vexatious and
annoying to the citizen in its non-essen-
tiais. Deal with the question In a plain
firm, commonsense business like manner.
Put no provision in the law that need
not and will not be enforced; never per-
NIT the law to be violated in the least.
II the law contains a dead letter amend
it. and by thus doing build up law
abiding and iaw-enforcing public senti-
ment in the community, thereby training
the people to respect the law and be-
come used to firm and increasing con-
troll of the liquor traffic.
A special dispensary commission. sep
arate and distinct from all other munich
pal bodies. with full and exclusive power
of control seems to be IDEAL This com
mission should be absolutely free from
politics and composed OF men OF known
executive ability and unquestioned inteS-
rity. Their pay should be sufficient TO
reimburse them easonably for their time.
but should not be large enough to cause
tho position to be sought after from a
money standpoint. The pay of the en-
ployes should be ample to secure good.
competent and honest service. but In no
cial success of the enterprise. Every in
ducement should be made to comply with
the law. not to violate II. This COM
mission should bear In mind that the
public exact more from a monopoly than
fro private firms OF dealers. The man
who will drink anything. out OF anything.
in an open saloon or blind tiger Will be
most exacting with a dispensary Have
everything scrupulously clean and neat.
give what you sell. furnish the public
what II wants at a fair price. always use
fun measure packages. especially for
packages put up by the dispensary; allow
no advertising. do none yourself allow no
advertising signs in the building. offer no
inducemeHt. simply supply what IL want
ed, in a neat business Hike manner. Al
low no drinking ons the premises. nor
lcating. provide no place for drinking
When the time comes to close d. SO and
STAY closed until the time comes for open
ing again.
The Dothan Dispensary.
! have been requested to make a special
report OF the Dothan dispensary. the
pioneer OF Alabama, | have drawn. of
course. my conclusions from this dis
The law creating 1t by the Leg
islsture named a board of eve commits
sioners; the term of one of whom eX-
pired every year. the vacancy thereby
caused being filled by the election. by
the City Council, Of a successor for q
term of five years, thus taking three
years to change the control of the board
and five years to change the entire board.
This plan has kept the dispensary ALSO
lutely out of politics. The Dothan dispen-
sary has ben an unqualified success from
every standpoint from the very begin
ming. Our people were nearly evenly di-
vided when the election to determine the
question was held the dlspensary won
by a small majority. Now absolutely ev-
cry person in Dothan SO far as is known
is outspoken for IL; some possibly inftd-
enced by one point of its success. others
possibly by other points. The manage
ment has ben conservative, free from
favoritism. cant or affectation. The
moral effect has been wonderful; public
has been reduced IS per cent.
and consumption OF intoxicants % per
cent. and the number of cases of disor-
derby conduct in the Mayors Court de-
creased in a very marked degree.
When the dispensary was opened the
town government was not able to furnish
any financial assistance in money or
credit and never put penny into II or
gave it any credit as the town had none
1t could barely pay the interest on its
inde btedness and could not sell more
bonds to pay it's floating debts. The town
could get only a limited amount OF local
credit under and conditions and then at
a rate of 10 per cent. interest. Under
these conditions with large local senti-
ment against 1t and this section in dis
tressfui financial condition 1t made the
first year. 1899. $7,5iz.3J over and above
all expenses. The seconr year owing TO
the renewed prosperity of the country
and the building of q new line of railroad
by Dothan, the net profit increased to
si3. 500. and last year when conditions
were normal they were $l0.250.
Great Help to Schools.
On s-half Of the net profits go to the
Dothan public schools and the other half
into the general fund af the civ UA