The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-26
PHARMACISTS VOTE
AGAINST SALES Of
LIQUOR IN STORES
Druggists of Washington Do
Not Want to Sell Intoxicants,
Even on Prescriptions
SELLING LIQUOR LOWERS
ETHICAL STANDARD
Legislative Committee Will
Seek to Get Measure Which
VIII Change State Laws;
Would Discontinue Tax.

University off Washington, Nov. Is.
The druggists Of the State Of Wash
ington do not want TO sell Intoxicating
hquor even on prescriptions. Much
less do they want to pay the compul-
sor-y State tax of s25 which gives them
the privilege OF so doing.
Out of 500 druggists IN all parts OF
the State. S24 voted recently by mail
at the invitation OF Dean Charles willis
johnson. State chemist and head Of
the college OF pharmacy OF the Uni
versity of Washin Rton. TO discontinue
the sale Il liquor in their stores and
236 favored the ahrogaton Of tho state
tax.
The legitimate druggists of this
state are continually subjected to the
jests Of the public simply because the
people reflect on ali pharmacists the
opprohrium that attaches to the blind
pig, declared the dean just after he
had tabulated the replies to the ques-
uonnaire he had sent out.
Very Little Profit.
Enough profit Is not made on all
the liquor small drug store sells on
prescription 10 pay the annual State
tax, according to Dean johnson. This
fact. connected with the lowering Of
the ethical standard Of the pharmacy
10y the blind pig, makes it necessary
for the druggists to advocate State
legislation looking TO the discontlnu-
ance OF both. he argues.
Through the legislative committee
Of the State Pharmaceutical Associa-
ton. Of which he is president, Dear
Johnson hopes that the pharmacists
of Washington can effect change of
substitution in the State laws which
will make 1t a criminal offense to sell
any liquor whatsoever in a drug store.
The abolition of the tax will be asked
Il don't care what becomes Of the
doctors prescription for rint Of
whtskey as long as II does not go to
the drug store asserted the dean II
do think the sale of liquor for medi~
cinal purposes might be conducted by
the State through local dispensaries
My chief interest however, is to get
1t out of the drug store. Further than
that ! don't care particularly what Is
done with IT."
The answers to the QUESTIONABLE
show that ninety-three druggists in
Seattle and nearby towns would cast
out the liquor, while sixty.tive would
retain It's sale on prescription; ninety
four Of them would like TO be freed
from payment OF the annual license
tax, while siXty-four are willing to
pay It, In Tacoma, Olympia and their
environs forty-three would discontinue
the sale, while twenty seven. retain 1t;
forty three would strike out the tax:
twenty seven would keep it. Drug
Fists OF Spokane. Hillyard and Cheney
voted 80 to s to cast out the liquor
and 80 to s to abolish the tax
Large Majority.
In the Big Bend and central part of
the State the vote was II TO on both
the discontinuanCe of hlling liquor
prescriptions and on the removal of
tina State tax. Wenatchee and Okla
hogan druggists registered Ia to 3
against selling liquor and In favor OF
striking out the tax
other sections and votes appear on
the list ~ follows: North of Spokane:
against liquor :. for Z: against tax 10,
for 4, south Of Spokane. Asotin and
Whitman Counties, against liquor 2l
for G. against tax 20. for 6; Walla
Nalla country, against liquor 10, for
II, against tax Ia, for IL, North
Yakima and Pasco. against liquor IA.
for s, against tax Is, for Z; Everett
Granite Falls and Monroe, against
liquor 9. for 4 against tax 8, for 7;
all north Of Everett, against liquor 3d.
for Is; against tax IS. for 13: VAN
couver and Aberdeen and envfrons
against liquor 35. for 10: against tax
81, for ! ;,