Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1906-03-21
.TOUSE REQUEST BLANKS

|TOUSE. REQUEST BLANKS
Says That He Cannot Enforce the
Law Without the Assistance of Ex-
ira Clerks.
Columbia State, 18th.
On and after Monday the whiskey
and beer dispensaries Of the city will
use request books and every purchas-
er Of supplies at any Of the dispensar-
les will either sign the request book
or should a note be sent the note must
state the facts and must be signed by
the name Of the party wishing the
goods. This is the order issued by the
Richland county board of control and
as result County Auditor Gibbcs has
written letter to the governor stat
ing that it will be impossible to carry
out the provisions of the dispensary
law relating to his Office and at the
same time attend to the tax business.
Mr.. zGibbes states that this is the first
time he has been asked to issue these
request books and that he was some-
what surprised at the number asked
for by the dispensers. Mr.. Gibbes
says that if the law is strictly en-
forced it would mean an extra clerk
IN the Office of every county auditor
in the State where there were dispen-
sarie.s.
The letter sent the governor by the
county auditor is as follows:
Hon. d. G. Hayward, Governor, CO.
lumbia, S. C.
Dear Sir: For the first time since
I have been III Office; the county board
of control has requested. me 10 issue
request books to county dispensers.
They had been discarded long before
the ineumbency Of said board or my
self. as it had been found impractical
BILE to enforce this feature of the law
with a business of far less magnitude
in Richland than its present volume.
Should 1 have to comply strictly with
the requirements Of the dispcnsaly
law. involving gross business Of some
100000. probably tour local profits
are now amounting to more than $6O.-
600 per annum) there would be literal.
ly no time for attending TO the more
important and regular duties Of my
office. At my own expense | now en-
ploy a clerk whose aid is necessary
as tax officer.
It is out Of the question for me to
meet the expense of another, clerk to
look after the dispensa,y affairs as
specified in law.
This law is the same as originally
framed before5it was realized to what
magnitude the business would grow.
and is entirely unsuited to and i'm
possible Of execution here under pres
ent conditions.
am issuing these books in bulk 70
dispensers, and even this method In
wolves serious interruption to my in
portant work of compiling tax returns:
making up abstracts, and preparing
data for my boards Of assessors.
Therefore I ask that, if it is to be in
sisted that all the provisions Of the
law shall be carried out through this
Office. as to issuing, dating, checking
and receipting for request books, sup
ervising settlements, etc, that some
way be found of authorizing the coun-
ty board Of control TO furnish me with
special clerk for performing these
duties.
Otherwise l shall be forced to large
ly disregard the dispensary law, or to
neglect and disregard my duties as
county auditor.
Trusting that you may devise some
way TO relieve an impossible situation
caused by the passage of foolish and
inconsistent laws, am
Yours very truly,
w. III. Gibbs,
Auditor for Richland.
AS the letter was only sent Satur-
day the governor has not taken the
matter up yet.
Chairman O. F. Campbell Of the
county board said Saturday that The
order was issued on March S at a
meeting Of the board, and that it was
the intention of the board to see that
the law is. carried out. The dispensers
say that it will be almost impossible
to enforce this law unless there arc
about three extra clerks hired for
each dispensary and that on real busy
days it will be impossible then to serve
all customers. The letter sent each
dispenser is as follows:
"Dear Sir: 1 am instructed by
Acting Chairman W. j. May of the
county board to notify YOU to make
requsition on County Auditor Gibbes
for request books and that you oorl-
mence to use them on Monday, Marcl,
l2, l9O6.'
This is signed by The clerk Of the
board.
Section 5e7 and 5ss Of the criminal
code make the duties as. TO request
books as follows:
nSec, 567. Requests for purchase
of liquor shall be made upon blanks
furnished by the co,nty auditor. i'll
packages of 100 each, to the county
dispenser, from time TO time as the
same shall be needed, and shall be
numbered consecutively by the auditor.
The blanks aforesaid shall be furnish
ed TO. the county auditor by the board
Of State directors in uniform books
like bank checks, and the date Of d.
5I,-a,.1. cla1l ho endorsed hv the county