The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-08-22
CHECKING UP DIsPENsARY.
Internal Revenue Department More
Rigid Than Usual-Exact Purpose
Of Present Inspection Not Quite
Clear, But 1t May Be Moved By
Determination to Buy Only From
Bonded Warehouses-Revenu Re-
ceipts Considerably Lower.

Columbia, Aug. 15.-The Federal
government through its revenue de-
partment is conducting most rigid
and thorough inspection and investi-
cation of the State dispensary stock.
What the object is NOBODY seems to
know definitely. The governments rep
resentative in the checking up that
is being made Of all items is guarded
in talking, preserving the usual eau
ton, which the government requires
in such matters. He says he is Civ
ing the dispensary the usual whole
saler's inspection, but he does not
seem to know why this is so much
more complete than it has ever before
been. He says that if any Irregular
tiles occur involving fraud the gov
ernment will proceed to close up the
shop. But he smiled when the con-
tingency was mentioned, and said
there need be no fear along this line.
Some Of the State dispensary peo-
pie think the inspection is a result
of the State boards recent adoption
Of a resolution looking to purchases
exclusively from bonded warehouses
with the commissioner taking out a
rectifer's license SO that the blending
NAV he done at the State dispensary.
Those holding this view Of the mat
ter say the government wants to have
a complete official listing of the stuff
now on hand in preparation for the
change. But the objection to this
Interpretation of the inspection is
that the resolution has been re-
garded all along as merely political
move made for the purpose Of in
fiuencing the last State Democratic
convention. And yet member Of
the board said today that it was likely
the board would put the resolution
into effect this month. Commissioner
Tatum advocates such a, change.
It is hardly to be expected that the
State dispensary will be found to be
dealing in unstamped whiskey, and by
some it is thought that the inspection
is merely for the purpose Of affording
the government opprtunity to check
up against its cwn men. The govern
ment has had representative at the
State dispensary and the State has q
man there to check against him. On
TOP of this stuff coming in passes
thorough inspection. Last year 1t
turned out that the reason that the
government held up about $50 bar
rels Of stuff shipped from the Big
Springs distillery was that an error
had been made by the governments
Inspector at the other end Of the line.
The revenue receipts for this State
for the last fiscal year show falling
off as compared with the year ending
June 80, 1905 of over 100000, but
Commissioner Tatum thinks this fall
ing off is largely to be accounted for
bv the fact that the present board
has purchased very little from the
Richland distillery. Patrons of the
dispensay have manifested a prefer
ence in these cheap graes, for what is
known as double-stamped whiskey'
which is made by the small distil-
leries throughout the State and for
McSmurle's product at Camden, and
the board has been taking all Of this
II coul get, but these sources of sup
ply meet only small portion OF the
demand.