The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-31
THE WAY IT WORKS.
Ashley Horne Tells How Dlsptnsary Solves
the Liquor Question.

Inc people OF Wilson are WagIng an
active campaign to close up its eighteen
saloons, and TO establish a dispensary.
At the meeting at that place. held in the
interest of the ~dispensary. letters have
been read from prominent citizens of
ether communities. Among oshe1 letters
published in the Wilson papers is the
following from the most successful bust
ness man in Clayton detailing the opera
tions Of the dispensaIy in that town:
THE CLAYTON DIsPENsARy.
| beg leave to submit the following
statement of the results of the Clayton
dispensary.
The Clayton dispersary was established
July list, 1899, running from hat time
to July 1st, 1906, without any D"oft,
owing to the great opposition in govern
ment distilleries.
From July 1st, 1909, to January list,
1901, we made a profit Of S495.
During the year 1901 We had better
successes. We We're relieved of the dis
tillery and by the efforts Of our town
people to protect the dispensary, VIC
made q profit in 1901 Of $l352.
In 1902 most all Of the opposition had
been removed. First, we had a law
enacted by the Legislature prohibitiro
government stills to run in the town
ship. And again our citizens were 1uore
friendly to the operations of the diSpen-
ssry. and our net income during the year
1902 was $2,01G, which we think will be
some where near the amount we may
expect each year from now on vita prop
G" management Of the iispersary.
While we had open bars, seven in mum
Der q portion Of the time. we paid to
the county treasurer $400 per year as
taxes. During 1902 we paid into the
county treasury our usual county taxes
CT $500, which was based upon what our
bar-rooms had been paying, and after
paying this $40O to the county. cur usual
assessment for bars, we then had last
a net profit of 50, ole. Now of this S2,9f6,
one-half goes to the town Of Clayton and
onc-half to Clayton school d~istsfcr. max
ing about 81 900 to the school district
;ni 81 ,0G0 to The town.
The moral influence IF tic .lispcnsarv
is best shown by the following schedule:
From July list, 1898, to July 1st, 1S2n.
under the open bar system, the ar'ount
OF town fines collected for that period
Was S212.70. From July 1s+, 1901, to Jul.
1st, 1902, under the dis2onsarv sys IN
the amount OF town ines collected was
So. This report is qTa''igl to hy l..
l. Hinton, mayor, during both periods
o. the open bar and the disncnsarv.
While we had bar-rooms. our academy
was very poor and a very poor school
running barely four months, and with
an average attendance of 90 to 100 for
the four months. Under the disppnsary
system we have built a c-ommodious
academy at a cost Of about $4,000, with
six study rooms and an auditorium. and
we now have six teachers and an aver
age attendance Of $50 pupils, and run
ming nine months in the yea against
four with open bars. Besides nearly
half the streets in our town have been
macadamized without a dollar OF aJdi-
tional tax upon our people. Our town
tax is % cents on the 500 worth and
IS cents on the poll. The dispensary pays
about as much to the town government
as the people ray by taxation.
During the last years operation with
the open bars our population was go.
Our population now is ovce 200. Dur
ing the ~dispensary, We have built and
are running a first class bank with
$4,000 capital stock, also a cotton mill
with 1920. 600 capital stock, and one lum-
Der planning plant with $50, 900 capital
stock, and are now planning FOR an oil
mill.
The dispensary has grown more popu-
lar every year since the organization.
and we would be at q loss to know Row
to run L town government without It
from a moral standpoint. With the
open bars ladies' rarely went into the
business houses on Saturday, and picked
their chances en- other days, frequently
going the back streets rather than to
ceme in contact with disorderly :copIa
on Main street, both black AMI white. In
fact business was nearly SUSPENDED on
Saturdays so far as the ladies We're n
cerned- On Sundays people Would sit
around in the alleys and back lays of
the bar-rooms, and the traffic as very
demoralizing to all passers-by. With
the nispensary, on Sundays we see G
congregation Of people. the town with a
better odor, the church bell with more
reverence, and the police courts IN
known.
Looking upon this statement from a
standpoint, so:ac of you may
think We have gone into the business
TO make money. This is untrue. We
have no object whatever except to
fattcr control the ui;stts evil.
The dispcnsary is open from sunrise