The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-08-06
The Trayesty Upon a Solution.

The Travesty Upon a Solution.
The quarterly report of the legisla-
tive committee appointed to examine
the books and report upon the fnan-
cial condition Of the State dispensary
has been made. public in the last few
days.
1t contains much food for thought
in these days when the hippant decla-
ration that '' the dispensary is the best
solution of the liquor. problem" sshas
become the slogan of a campaign nin
South Carolina, in which all are
agreed to sustain the present domi-
mating influence of an Institution that
is hourly sapping the temperance SEN
timent in the State and making it all
the harder to inculcate correct doc
trines in the generations to come upon
the liquor traffic. The dispensary is
undermining this sentiment and up
roofing these doctrines under the plea
that the State must control the traffic
for the benefit of the public schools.
A greater farce was never enacted,
and greater cheat and de1usion was
uSSSI HioCGlCOO opOn C10y pOS PIO'
The quarterly report contains state
ments of the assets and liabilities,
profit and loss, receipts, disbursements
and cash On hand. These items are
clearly stated and aptly arranged, SO
that he who runs may read, but the
trouble is that so many are running
after the dispensary and its supposed
influence that they do not take the
time to read and examine the figures.
To begin with, the report shows that
the net profit for the, quarter, which
has been placed to the credit of the
school fund, is the beggarly sum of
sl5, ,5l2.47, and further that the dis
pensary is now owing the school fund
the muni6cent sum of s607, $40. 81.
The indebtedness is admitted, and yet
the payment fer the quarter is little
more than 211a per cent. upon the debt,
Or about 10 per cent. interest for the
year. What has become of the money
due to the schools? The report shows
that the dispensary has on hand in Co
lumbia and at the various county
repositories for liquor an amount of
stock said to be worth S608, 42I50, al
most Identical with the sum due to
the school fund. The situation is sim
ply that the alleged sum due the
schools is being used as operative capi-
tai to carry on the business, and the
people are placated with the idea that
The dispensary is giving substantial
aid to the school system, when the
fact is that this overdue fund is only
on paper and cannot be collected with
out the dispensary goes out of bust
ness. There are no other available as
sets with which to liquidate the in
debtedness, and the concern would be
insolvent if the debt was paid.
Other liabilities are set down In the
report at S163, 699. 81, against which
there is cash on hand $50, S97. .0S, which
leaves deficit in debt-paying assets
of S115, 81. IS. Such showing by a
company or corporation would demand
the appointment of receiver to mar
shall the assets and pay the debts, and
that is what the people of South Caro-
lima will some day require of the dis,
pensary. Aside from the promotion OF
libuor drinking as social evil, the
State is evidently engaged IN an un-
profitable business venture, ancl the
sooner it retiresI from the occupation
of liquor selling the quicker will 1t
recover from the damage being done
to it's reputation and sound Judgment.
Another feature that is discreditable
from business point of view Isl the
expense account. Excluding labor,
salaries, per diem and mileage, print
ing, postage, &C., the expenses for
the Quarter reached $4,000 out of a
business whose total receipts were
s445, 510.62 The other items OF ex-
pense, including constabulary amount
to s26. 5ss. "a or total expenditure OF
$50, 5sS. IA for the quarter. Nearly
twenty per cent. of the gross receipts
are consumed in operating the plant,
and it is no wonder that the net profits
are so insignificant in comparison
with other lines of business. The con-
Germ is loaded down with current ex-
penses from which there is no relief.
The public is kept in ignorance of
many features of the business, and
while we are crying out for publicity
with reference to trusts and mono
poles, as a remedy for admitted evils
in great combinations of capital, the
State is fostering an Institution that
does not give out any information as to
prices, grades, quality Of goods. and
the firms with which it is dealing.
A self-perpetuating and secret mono
poly hiding behind the phrase, The
dispensary is the best solution oil the
liquor problem.-Greenville Noun
taineer.