The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-05-17
A BIG Bill.
Internal Revenue Collector After
DIspensary Commission
WANTS BACK TAXES

Which Ho Claims Is Due Uncle San
On Account OF the Dispcnsar,
Having Done n Wholesale as Wei
rs Retail Business. Claims Thir
ty-flvo Thousands Dollars as Lii
censc Fees.
Major Micah Jenkins, collector Of
internal revenue for South Carolina
has notified the state dispensary com
mission that immediate payment
must be made to his department OF
beer license fees aggregating more
than $4,000.
This claim represents the differ.
ence to date between the gross
amount Of license fees actually paid
by the State on behalf Of Its several
county dispensaries, and the amount
which the internal revenue depart
ment alleges should have been paid.
The licenses taken out were for re-
tall beer dealers and permitted sales
to individuals in single sales Of not
more than four and seven -eights gal
Ions each. The departments conten-
ton Is that nearly every beer dispen-
ser, as a matter Of fact, repeatedly
sold to individual purchases more
than the specified amount OF beer at
one time, and by SO doing placed them
In nj n f,f MI, II
ers. The fees for retail dealers Is
$25 per year, that for wholesale
dealers $125, with penalty OF so
per cent for failure to pay in ad-
vance.
Major jenkins claim is for $685.
900 in back licenses, prior to the
past fifteen months, and $5,427 in
back licenses incurred during that
period-$3 s ,427 in all, without in
Guiding the penalty Of SO per cent
which would bring the claim up to
about $500 The department has
agreed, however, to remit the pen
atty In case the face amount OF the
claim Is paid over within ten days.
Attorney General Lyons and the
commissioners attorney, Mr.. w. f.
Stevenson Of Cheraw, are in consul
tation os to the validity Of the claim,
which the commissioners has been
quoted as saying 1t will fight. The
local disDensary organ this morning
quoted dispensary officials as saying
that If beer dispensers had made sin
gle sales In excess Of the 4 B gallons
limit, they did so In disobedience to
explicit directions, and the state COM
mission could not, therefore, be made
to pay excess license fees and penal
foo o1,
ence Of the dispensers. The infer
ence drawn was that the department
would have to sue on the individual
bonds Of the several dispensers, If If
proposed to collect the $35,427, the
retail licenses being directed to the
dispensers by name.
Major Jenkins said that the de-
partment had issued the licenses to
the state board as principal, the dis
penscrs being named merely as
agents, and that he would certainly
look to the state board for the mon
ey. If this board can reimburse IT.
self by suing on the bonds Of the dis
pensers, that is It's own affair, The
internal revenue department has no
bill against the several dispensers;
its claim is against their principal
and employer, the state board.
1t is claimed In certain quarters
that the department cannot collect
excess license fees and penalties for
a period extending further back than
fifteen months.
The department alleges that more
than the legal quantities have been
sold in the whiskey dispensaries, as
we'll as in the beer saloons.
The several summons in the case
have been served upon DR.. w. j. Muir
ray, the chairman Of the state com
mission, and DR.. Murray has called a
meeting Of the commission.