The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-03-17
.BLEASE DISMISSES THE
WINDINC-lJP COMMISSION
GIVES REASONS FOR DISMISSING
COMMISSION.
Charges Commission With Neglect
And Incapacity-Other Reasons
Also Stated.


Governor Blease issued Tuesday
night executive orders peremptorily
removing from Office DR.. W. ]. MCr-
ray, of Columbia: Mr.. ]. S. Brice, OF
News of the governors dismissal OF
-Timmonsville; Mr.. Avery Patton, OF
Greenville, and Mr.. A. \. Wood. OF
.Gaffney, composing the commission to
wind up the affairs of the late South
Carolina State dispensary. NeSlect
of duty and incapacity'' are the rea-
sons assigned by the governor tor MS
action; and particularly does he dis
approve of the arrangement whereby
the Atlanta law firm Of Anderson,
Fielder, Rountree & Wilson was re-
tanned to assist the commission IN
recovering from liquor houses aAd
other parties money alleged TO lie
due the State as a result of dealings
with the State dispensary. IA act
nassed in 1909 vests in the governor
mower to remove members Of the
commission, whenever he may deem
it for the public interst to do so,'' and
there will be no resistance in the
courts to the orders.
Probe Bill Still Unsigned.
Governor Blease still has under
advisement the act passed by the gen
eral assembly last month"; at his own
urgent suggestion, providing for an
Investigation of the dispensary COM
missions acts by legislative COM
mission.
Governor is RetlcenL.
New of the governors dismissal of
the commissioners did not come from
the governors Office. In fact. when
information was sought there, the
governor said, through his secretary,
that if anything was to be given ITO
the press relative to the matter, 1T
should come from the other end
the line" The governor even refuse
to say whether he had removed any
members of the board other than the
chairman, reporters being at tn
time unaware defnite1y as to the issu-
ance of such orders to Messrs. Brio
McSween, Wood end ration.
By Registered Mail.
DR.. Murray received the order ad-
dressed to him by registered mail
Wednesday morning, the envelope
bearing the endorsement Return re-
ceipt demanded" DR.. Murray declin-
ed to make for publication any state
ment upon the governors action.
By telephone the Record ascertain
ed that Messsrs. McSween and Brice
received their dismissals by register
ed mail Wednesday morning; Mr.
Patton had not received any commu-
nication at the hour when he was
cclled up, as the train from ,Colum-
bia had not then reached Greenville,
and Mr.. Wood had not received the or
der but later wired the Record: "Dis-
charge received. While the COVER
nor declined to say whether or not he
had dismissed all the members of the
commission, the copy of the order re-
ceived by DR.. Murray shows that the
order was first made out with the
name left blank and then the name
filled in on the typewriter.
II had been expecting it" said Mr.
McSween, when he Eas called up at
his home in Timmonsville. "Nothilg g
more to say
"It's all right" said Mr.. Brice al
Yorkville, 'I had heard he was going
to do it the last time I was in Co.
lumhbia. But what about that investi-
gation?"
Will He Sign or Veto!
"No. I haven't received anything
from the govecnor-yet, said Mr.