The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-22
House Committee Urged Not 10
Place Them at South Boston
and Houston
PEOPLE WANT To VOTE
Those of Bannister District Think
They Should Be Permitted to
Pass Upon Question.

/ The final hearing on the bill pro-
viding for dssDensaries at South Bos-
ton and Houston was held Tuesday
morning before the House Commit
tee on Counties, Cities and Towns
The blu has already passed the Sem
ate. and 1t provides tor dispensaries
in both OF the towns. The opponents
CT the bill have strongly urged the
committee to amend Ii, giving the
people in Baunister district right
to vote on the question. When the
bill was up before the Senate COM
mtttee IL was protested against
strongly by representatives of the
voters and was passed over this OPP
position.
At the hearing Tuesday several
residents, including merchants of
both South Boston and Houston.
spoke as to the desire of the people
MIR. II, tt. Edmunds opened the
discussion With d Tery forcible argu-
ment against the passage of the bill
lie said; The people Of South Bos-
ton and Houston do not want "a dis
pensary there. Conditions are better
now than they ever have been be-
fore. and we beg this committee to
let well enough alone. We have had
two votes Now, il the liquor people
Insist on bringing the question UP
again let the people OF this entire
district decide II by popular vote
These two toV&iss are exclusively fed
by the country people. and they are
unanimous in their isapproval of the
dispensary, Under the liquor regime
i. was impossible TO control the la
borers. especially the negroes. and a
number of the farmers have told me
that they would sell their farms II
~ dispensary was placed in the
towns"
DR. Melville, IF Houston, eorrob-
Grated the statements of Mr. Ed
monds. and declared that conditions
had been greatly improved within the
last ten months since the districts
went dry. The merchants" he
stated. reported that their business
was better. and were strongly i'm ia
vor of local option" Because of the
fact that there Is no police protection
~, Houston. i,r Melville declared that
II was dangerous for ladies and chill
dren to, be on the roads where liquor
was sold on account of drunken ne
groes.
DR. Melville said that the last vote
resulted in Il majority OF sc votes in
tfa%eF- Of Il dry district,
The last person TO protest against
ton, who declared that his business
had increased over 10 per cent. dur
ing the dry regime THE present law
/ is good enough for u.s." he declared.
THE people in my town don't want
dispensary. and urge Sotf not to
I force US TO vote upon IT,. Our great
1 trouble under the liquor regime he
continued, was with young boys get
ting drunk. When liquor Is sold IL Is
impossible to keep 1t away from them.
/ have petitions here signed by 1870
voters against the dispensary and one
signed by 100 voters, Ia Of whom are
/ negroes In favor OF the dlspensary.
and / ask YOU gentlemen not to re-
| port this bin to the House
/ Major Edmonson. who represented
the liquor people. concluded the ar
gument He asked for a favorable
report on the bill which would allow
the sale of liquor in the two towns.
! He asserted that there was liquor
sold there now in blind tigers and
that the town might as we'll get the
| benefit of the revenue. Major Ed
monson also stated that there was as
much danger and drunkenness on the
roads now az under the wet regime,
He insisted that majority of the
taxable values was represented in the
wet petition.
At the conclusion of the argume mt
an amended bill was offered by Hon.
j. A. Glenn. of Halifax. which would
give to the entire district the right
to vote. Mr.. Stebbins, the other dele
gate from Halifax. was pressed to
state his opinion on the question, and
stated that he in the local option
election he had voted dry. but in
this matter he was representing both
parties The committee withheld de-
clsion.
The committee then heard petit
tions signed by two thirds of the ctti-
zAns of Basic City, requesting that
the charter be changed so that the
town would be dry by charter and
prohibiting any further elections,
This bin was opposed by other citi-
gems. The committee reserved 'ts de-
cision.