Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-21
plsPENsARY INVESTIGATION.
August Kohn Has an lntimation OF IN.
terestlns Developments.

AUGUST NOnU FIdo an W
terestlns Developments.
Mr.. August Kohn, who attended the
meeting Of the State Press association
at White Stone last week, published
the following In the News and Courier
Of last Monday: -
White Stone Is just about twelve
miles from Spartanburg. and 1t Is an
easy matter for news to percolate that
short distance. 1t was at White Stone
that some Of the echoes Of the dispen-
sary scandals that have been develop
ed at Spartsnburg were heard. The
whole dirty business Is likely soon to
be made public under oath, and that
may be better than undertaking to
outline Il in a merely suggestive way.
II is well known that at the recent
session Of the general assembly spec
cial investigating committee was ap-'
pointed under the Blease resolution.
This general committee was duly
subdivided into three committees.
Sub. Committee No. L.
The most important committee Is
that composed Of Messrs. Cole l.
Blease and T.. B. Fraser. This special
SUBJ committee Is charged with the
special Investigation Of the alleged
graft" on the part Of the executive
officers Of the dispensary. This COM
mittee Is to find out what there Is In
the talk Of the buying and shipping
and ordering powers OF the dispen-
sary making money. on the side, out
Of the disperisary. This Is the commit,
tee which deals with the big fry. and
Is to be the star feature OF the whole
thing. It is in the efforts Of this COM
mittee that the public Is most inter-
ssted. II It says there Is nothing In all
the talk about rebates or allowances
or commissions then there will be
great load lifted from the reputation
Of the dispensary But the people want
the effort made to ascertain the truth,
whatever It may be, and with this, on
proper effort being shown, there VIII
be general approval.
Sub Committee No. 2. aa
Then there Is a second committee
which will investigate and report on
the business methods Of the dispen-
sary. This committee consists or Col.
D. A. Spivey and Mr. Arthur CASTOR.
This committee Is to report wnetner
the dispensary is run as honest men
would conduct their own business.
Whether the dispensary Is paying too
much for ics liquor, as intimated.
Whether the dispensary pays more for
its case goods than other as large
buyers pay for them; whether they
are the same liquors, and whether they
are the same measure, and what there
Ia I'm all the talk about shorts" This
committee Is to inquire into the pro-
priety of the arbitrary price hxed TOT
barrel goods. It may look into the al
legged habit of stocking up heavily pc
fore boards change, whether TO please
NJ
port how much liquor, case gooos es-
pecially, has been bought In the last
Ave years from certain houses, the
prices paid and how these prices run
as compared with other buyers, ana
what there Is in the shorts and ex-
ira bottles for the dispensers that are
thrown In for "cut."
Sub Committee No. 8.
Then there Is the committee on the
management of the sub -dispensaries.
Apparently this was the least impor-
tant of the committees, but 1t has been
doing things and has shown an earnest
ness that makes people expect results:
This special committee consists OF
Messrs. Niels Christensen. Jr., and Fra
ser Lyon.
Mr.. ]. 7. Hay, Chairman of the
whole committee) Is ex-ofhcio chair-
man of all the committees, ano ne
has whenever called upon, done all
he could. He went to Spartanburg
when the committee worked there,
and this chapter is likely to prove
intensely interesting.
The investigating committee ex-
meets to meet here on Tuesday. Tne
resolution under which the board was
appointed, especially provided TOT
public and wide-open sessions, put
there have not yet been such PUBIC
hearings The effort will be MADE 10
have the next session open ana 10
provide for the utmost publicity.
Discoveries In Three Counties.
From all that can be heard the
committee on sub-dispensaries is the
only one prepared to report anylnlns
what II found in Charleston. Spar
tanburg and Florence and other
noints in the state thus far investi-
gated in its limited field.
It has some interesting facts from
and II Is desired to have
the people of the state know the ex-
act facts, pro and con, as to the Far
mum incident, and what papers II
wants and what papers 1t thinks can
be gotten.
Rumors In Spartanburg.
There was current talk about some
of the developments in connection
with the Spartanburg investigation,
There was one witness, said to be In
q position to know his facts, who
talked freely and who put the sub.
committee in touch with some moral
situations.
For instance. 1t Is said the testi-
mony shows that there has been a
regular sale Of dispensary positions
in Spartanburg county. When these
Jobs were sold at so much position
will be brought out in the testimony
tits said. Then they say the dispen,
sary men raised a campaign fund
with which to fight for the retention
of the dispensary in Spartanburg
county.
It is stated that there is an itemi-.
zed statement as to the sources OF
this fund-whisky houses, beer firms,
dispensary officials, etc. Then there
Is another list Of where this cam
paign fund went-to newspaper TOT
space to officials, etc.
There are a great many other IN
teresting phases Of the investigator
of this Inquiry that promise develop
ment.
There appears to be something In
sight.