Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-27
SALE OF INTOXICANTS
DISPENSARY SYSTEM ADVOCATED
FOR THE DISTRICT.
How It Works in North and South
Carolina and in European
Countries.

Those persons interested in the prohibition
OF the sale Of intoxicants in the national
cap1tal and those who would control the
SAFE or alcoholic liquors have ever and anon
made favorable mention of various plans
.hey thought would put the dispensing of
liquors on a higher plane than the one on
"hich 1t Is now said to stand. There are
those VINO In the past several weeks have
advocated the closing Of saloons on all
hatlonal holidays, and still others who
would stop the sale Of liquor on SUNDAYS
III the various clubs that are now per-
mitted by the excise board to dispense
liquor under certain restrictions as to
hours. Local control of the liquor traffic
IS now In the hands Of an excise board the
powers Of the body being unique in that
mere is absolutely no appeal (other than
as they promulgate. The District Of 20.
lumbia has tried this system, but there are
many who do not consider 1t entirely salts
factory. There are some who consider the
o,spensaIy system, now In vogue in North
ana South Carolina and In several of the
countries OF Europe, as an ideal one and
a system that would prove of decided adj
vantage If brought into use for the gov
eminent or the liquor traffic in the District
of Columbia. Some days ago Mr.. Charles
f. Weller, general secretary of the Asso-
clated CHARITIES, made a tour of the states
OF North and South Carolina and while in
Raleigh OF the latter state made a compre-
nensive study Of the system in vogue there
Mr.. Weller's Views.
TO a reporter for The Star who called
on him today to ask the result of his
Investigations Mr.. Weller said:
one of Raleigh's advanced social meas
ures, which I wished that my own CITY Of
washington might copy, is the 'dispen-
sary. Twenty-four saloons were replaced.
ABOUT year ago, by this plain supply
depot, where liquor is sold in nackapes
varying from half pint to a quart. These
cannot be opened upon the premises. but
there are two special places nearby which
proVioe a place where a bottle is opened
ana glass provided for service fee OF
21s cents. One Of these two saloon-like
resorts is said to do SO little business that
1t changes hands continually and is closed
large part of the time
"Raleigh's public uispensary' entovs an
enforced monopoly of all lawful retailing of
liquor IN Raleigh Ga city of $4,000 popIlla-
uonl and In the whole or a portion of four
OF nve surrounding counties OF course,
DO so can be found in this unattractfve
cramped storeroom, with its unconcerned
clerks its written register of all purchas-
ers and its habitual refusal to sell more
than one package at a time to one Gus
toner. In five minutes I counted twenty
patrons, of whom eleven were colored men.
was told that from four to six clerks are
required TO supply the demands made just
before closing hours in the afternoons. and
particularly on Saturdays. The fact that
colored customers outnumber the whites is
explained as inconclusive, because many
white people send members of the other
race to buy the liquor for them.
Cannot Be Stopped.
1.-THE new system takes 1t for granted that
the use of liquors cannot as yet be stoned
entirely. This dispensary even affords some
protection to consumers In the fact that
short measure and adulteration by retailers
are no longer possible. While there was
much opposition at first, 1t Is said that the
dispensary is now regarded more favorably.
and 1 suppose that may suggest that it is
not SO strenuously repressive as prohibit
tionists would naturally desire.
Il sat long time behind the counter and
afterward talked with one of the three COM
missioners intrusted with the supervision of
the business These gentlemen give only
share of their time and are paid $25 each
per month. The manager of the dispensary
receives $1,000 yearly. All four are said to
be advocates of temperance and, indeed of
prohibition. The general sentiment among
church workers and prOhibitionsts seems to
be that where a community cannot be per-
suaded to adopt prohibition the dispensary
system represents the best practicable i'm
pToVeneHt over private saloons. 1t certain
ly impresses an observer as great forward
movement to have the retail liquor business
of community entirely intrusted to the
management of its sworn enemies the
church leaders. temperance advocates and
friends of prohibition.
System Compromise.
obviously the system is compromise,
and no one denies the continuance of many
evils. The most frequent objection seemed
to spring from the feeling that the state
ought not to countenance the liquor traffic
by engaging in the business and reaping
large financial profits from it. In one news
paper l noticed objections to having the
schools of Raleigh receive more than $780, 600
or $4,000 yearly from the dispensary, for
fear, apparently, that this easy money and
the beneficial use of 1t might tempt the COM
munity to encourage rather than decrease
the business. Last year the city, county
and state authorities received over $50 900
net profit from this orderly, repressive dis
tributory of liquors.
would it not be wise for the Anti-saloon
League, the w. c. T. U. and other WASH
ington organizations which advocate tenn
perance to study the 'dispensary SYSTEM as
developed in North and South Carolina and
in Europe. with a view to possibly urging
G ipfro6ncfiOr iy, ho oap ital