The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-04-04
MUCH GOOD ACCOMPLISHED.
THE DIsPENsARY INyEsuGAT-
ING COMMITTEE CUT OFF
& GRAFT.

Thousands of Dollars Saved by the Ex-
| poseure of Rascality in Management
of State Dispensary-The Cancela-
ton of Contracts Alone Results in a
Saving of $4,000.
Columbia, March 26.-The next ses-
sion Of the dispensary investigating
committee will be held here in about
| thirty days, after Messrs. Lyon and
Christensen have made one more trip,
which they are now about to start out
on to Louisville, st. Louis, Cincinnati
| and other whiskey centres in that sec
ton. Then the tug Of war will come
| transactions on the part Of certain
| whiskey houses. This promises to be
one Of the most interesting sessions
the committee has yet had.
| Much anxiety is manifested on the
part Of the whiskey concerns interest
ed in the 100000 worth Of claims the
| committee is holding up pending in
| vestigation, and there is more or less
general curiosity about when these
claims are to be disposed Of What
Mr.. Lyon told a proprietor Of a whis
key concern today who called upon
him at his hotel to ask that his claim
be released, will serve to show the pol
| icy the committee has adopted toward
this phase Of the investigation.
| while I personally am satisfied
from observation Mr.. Christensen and
| I made on our recent trip North he
| said, "that a number Of the claims
are proper and should be paid. still
! our subcommittee will not take the
responsibility Of releasing any claim,
not even if you show conclusively that
all of your dealings have been fair and
| proper We prefer for the remainder
Of the committee to take their share
Of such responsibility
"Is the new board in good business
shape, perfectly reliable and all that
sort Of thing?'' the whiskey man ask
| ed.
$50 far as we have been able to
discover the board is perfectly straight
and has shown disposition to con-
duct the business in manner it
should be conducted, 1t ls IN really
better financial condition than the old
board, having some 100000 on hand
with which to pay cash for it's pur-
chases, on account of the other claims
being held up
The whiskey man wanted to know
whether cash was being, paid by the
board, incidentally mentioning that
:3ousands Of dollars could be saved
by cash policy, bills being discounted
|! at per cent. Mr.. Lyon was unable
! t5 say whether cash was to be paid or
not; he really did not know whether
the $1,000 the board had was get
i ting any interest from the banks:
It has been urged before members
of the committee that the new board
has violated the resolution passed by
the last legislature in reference to the
purchase Of glass. This resolution di-
| rected purchasing from the Carolina
! Glass Company for present needs, up
| to 80 days from the passage of the
| resolution; and prompt advertising for
other bids, the advertisement to state
quantity and quality. 1t is claimed
I! that as the advertisement the board
did put out did not mention quantity
| or quality, failed t5 meet the require
ments of the resolution, and the board
neglecting to award a. e0fittaet at the
quarterly meeting just ended has. de-
ferred the matter until the June Qaar-
terly meeting (the resolution requiring
the contracts. to be. awarded only quar-
terly), when the glass concerns
| throughout the country will be shut
down, and none but the Columbia con-
csrn which is equipped with dispen-
sary mou1ds, will be able to fill the dis
pensary orders. It is pointed out that
/ the new board has deferred this husi-'
ness in the interest Of the Carolina
concern. Which has been b1acklisted.
Along this line it will be of interest
! to note the difference between the bids
for glass contracts that were on file
with the board Wien it held its quar-
terly meeting.
The Carolina Glass Company, which
/ the committee found selling in 100
!crate lots at $40 a gross for half
ipints, $4.S5 gross for pints: and $s.65
gross for quarts in January when
officers Of the concern were put on the
gridiron, has come in with a bid Of
s2.70 for half pirats. s4.1O for pints