The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-15
.D|SPENSARY ID HANDLE LIQUOR
 GROWS IN FAVOR Jelks and Bowie Think It Proper Means of Set
 tling the Question
GIVE THEIR REASONS
 FOR ADVOCATING IT
Both Oppose Return of Open Saloon in Birmingham-Reye Fea- ture Also a Strong Argu-
 ment for Dispensary

Will the dispensary solve the liquor problem in Birmingham? Should the city return to open saloons? The Age-Herald yesterday sought interviews from former Gov. W.~D. Jelks, now president of the Protective Life Insurance company, and from Sydney J. Bowie, former congress-
 man from the Fourth Alabama district Both Believe the dispensary should be established here. Both are opposed to the return of the open saloon. Said Gov
 ernor Jelks:
 'T favor a local option bill for the state which would provide for possible dispensaries only for the sale of whisky The bill should set forth what shall con- stitute dispensaryp and how 1t should
 be conducted. It probably ought to give the governor power to appoint and pay a chemist who would pass upon all liquors sold, seeing to it that no poisons were offered The bill should further provide special accountant, or that the gover-
 nor should use some of his present force to the end that the books of the dis
 pensary might be periodically and exact ly examined and it's profits ascertained. My views do not materially differ from
 those embraced in the Moody bill, ex-
 cept in the distribution of the profits.
 "The profits should probably be divided
 into three paHs-one for the town Tn
 which the dispensary is located, one for
 the county and one part to the state
 ty,; 1oe to Ia ri n
 boards of revenue of the various coun-
 ties in the state to be used for the spe-
 cific purpose or purposes of public roads,
 and public schools. The bill should pro- vida that the boards of revenue should
 account to the governor through his ac- countant for the proper use of said sum for the purposes named. This distribution of one-thrd of the profits to the coun- ties is right, because the profits made out of the dispensary will be made from the citizens of the various counties; and it is expedient to divide it thus be- cause such a division will serve to keep down or dissipate the jealousy one com munity might entertain because another community was taking down enormous profits They will not then be jealous because they will share in the profits. The dissipation of such jealousy would re- duce the number of dispensaries in the state, and thus promote the growth of temperance.
 Some people profess not to want 70 use the unclean dollar, but the average citizen would prefer thefuse of the profits as above suggested; and the profits would be something handsome A probable con- servative estimate of the profits in this state, under a local option law, would
 amount to s2oOOO for each county--a sum
 of money which would be most welcome and helpful to the causes named. If we consider the financial, physical,
 mental or moral wel-being of a com
 munity, there can be no argument Tn favor of a saloon over a dispensary.
 There are those who would like 70 see the hotels and cafes privileged to sell light wines and beer, and am like minded; however, I know that 1t would be difficult to make a bill that would not allow this feature to be greatly abused Probably an excise commission, under a commission government might
 solve the problem.
 'T used what influence I had against the amendment to the constitution, be- lieving and stating that we would not
 have any licensed saloons in this state again, seeing no man who wanted one. I am more firmly convinced now than then that no great proportion of any community. and particularly of Birming- ham, would like a return of the saloon.
 The idea that Birmingham is too large for dispensary is, in my opinion, not
 sound I recall that many of the large towns in Alabama up to the size of
 Huntsville had them few years ago. 1 have no hesitancy in saying that not a aingle one of them will return to H. censed saloon and I now doubt If there will be any effort made in any of these communities to return to the saloon. If the dispensary was satisfactory for Hunts vile, why should it not be satisfactory for Birmingham? To say that Birming- ham is too large in which to satisfactorily conduct dispensary Is a mere assump- tion.'
 M, Rnu;oss Viows