The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-21
Oispensary Commissioners
Jobs Expire on Monday.
ROGERS TO The RESCUi {
By Vote of Eight TO Seven the Present Com
missicnsrs Go Out and Their Succes-
sors Will be Elected at Regu
lar M 5rtirg,
''If we are so soon done for,
What were We begun for"


What were We begun for"
That is the couplet that was running
through the heads of the present Dispe4-
sary Commissioners of Raleigh.
For by vote of eight to seven last
night the Board of Aldermen made
piesto! change twist on its action of two
weeks ago and by hunting the term OF the
present Dispensary Commissioners to
Monday, when it expires, puts them out
of action and makes way for a new Com
mission.
The anti-dispensary forces were routed
last night, and routed on two points
one of winch clinches victory for the
wishes of the Anti-Saloon forces, and
the other gives promise Of action by g
majority of the Aldermen which viii put
the control of the dispensary in the hands
of men desired by the forces that made
the dispensary possible, and rid Raleigh
of twenty three saloons.
The result last night came because OF
the vote OF Alderman Rogers. Alderman
Smith, who voted to elect the present
Commissioners was absent, and Alderman
Rogers on the vote to limit the term of
the present Commissioners so a 10 elect
Commission that could legally qualify,
cast his vote with the seven who are
carrying out the wishes of the temperance
forces, and ended the life of the present
Commission.
Having cleared the way for future ac
tion in. line with the best interests of the
people of Raleigh a motion to adjourn
to the next regular meeting was made
by Alderman Habel and this was carried
by vote of ten to FIVE.
The Aldermen who last night made this
result possible are:
BLAND, HABEL, HICKS, JOHNSON.
RAND, REDF0RD, ROGERS and WILL
DER.
The Aldermen who sought to thwart
the will OF the people by their vote last
night are:
ANDREWS, BoYLAN, CROCKER.
GRIFFIs, NOVEL;, sEPARK and
UPCHURCH.
The meeting was one of intense inter
est. A throng of deeply interested citi
zens We're in the mayors Office looking
on, and among the Aldermen there was
an air of wanting for a conflict of uni
versal Importance.
The matter of the dispensary reached
when City Attorney Watson read a re-
port from the Dispensary Commissioners,
Messrs. King Cole and Jones, saying that
they had not had time to prepare rules
and regulations, that they were not yet
fully qualified Commissioners because of
bonds not given and terms not fxes rec
ommending one dispensary and giving
figures for the cost of conducting a dis
pensary, as about 100000,
This was followed by the reading OF a
protest signed by a committee of the
Anti-Saloon League, asking that there
be but one dspensary, that men whose
lives comported with its purpose be put
in charge, stating that Commissioner
jones was not eligible as a Commission
er not having voted for the dispensary
and protesting against his continuance
in Office
City Attorney Watson contended that
the law making this qualification for
| Commissioner was unconstitutional, that
1t was not mandatory, but directory, and
that under it Mr.. Jones could hold the
office of Commissioner. This view was
antagonized by Alderman Habel who cut
short what promised to be long tanglc
by first moving to make the term OF
office of the Commissioners three days
and then changed this to have their term
end on the twenty-third OF this month,
next Monday This was carried eight 70
seven, and then the Board adjourned tall
the regular meeting, which comes next
Friday
The Aldermen, at the beginning of
the session approved of the suspension Of
Keeper of the Market McRary by Mayor
Powell and then re-intasted him IN Office.
The petition and protest OF the Com
mittee of the Anti-Saloon League, read
| by City Clerk Wilson, is as follows:
PETITION AND PROTEST.
Raleigh. N. c.. Nov 90 1909.
To The Honorable Board of Aldermen OF
the City of Raleigh:
Gentlemen:
The undersigned, representing the Exc
cutive Committee of the Anti-SalooD
League of Raleigh, respectfully petition
your honorable body and represent
% That in the campaign before the
election held under the Watts law in
this city on the 5th OF October last, II
was made clear and thoroughly under
stood by the voters of the city that only
one dispensary would be established in
Raleigh in case the twenty-four saloons
then in the city were ordered closed by
the result of the election. This was the
issue. and upon this issue they decided
in favor of one dispensary by very large
majority.
(2) The Watts law under which the
election was held was intended to regu-
late and restrain the manufacture and
sale of Intoxicating liquors; and as we
believe. permits the establishment OF only
one dispensary in the towns of the State
where the issue is submitted to the