Evening star., 1926-08-08


~ perS of this country study
" " Canadian methods of man
aging the liquor traffic, II
is timely to recall that one
State Of this Union has tried the
"dispensary" plan, apparently ap
proved by some writer's and observers
This plan. briefly, is Government mo
nopoly and regulation of sale of al
alcoholic beverages. South Carolina
experimental with it from 1893 tc
1909. 16 years. The results were not
conclusive. but. in some respects, were
interesting, including exciting cpl
sodeS. tragedy, comedy and final con
fession of failure.
The experiment was begun under
the orders and direction Of the late
Senator Il. Il. TiIman while he was
governor and virtual dictator of the
State. 1t was intended to he a com
promise between the supporters OF
prohibition and local option, dis
pleased first one and then the other
and caused curious reverSals of opin.
ion and ShiftInCS Of alliances Com.
nercial considerations and conditions
hampered and bafIied the prohibition
lists under the local option system.
Towns carried dry" with much hard
work and high hope saw trade drift
ing from them TO wet" rivals. and
Slid.
Followed Athens, Ga. Plan.
Farmers who gave all their infiu-
ence TO close the saloons as sink holes
of iniQuitN would drive some miles
further To sell their cotton where the
sinks We're vet open. Gov. Tillman.
while personally abstemious, was not
a prohihitiOniSt. The issue threat
IL i,.al Il
he hit on the idea of making the State
the only saloonkeeper and gathering
into the treasury the profits of the
business. He investigated conditions
in the little Georgia city of Athens,
where the municipal authorities con-
Quoted the saloons and used the pro-
cc"ds for public purposes. and was i'm
pressed by what he learned.
Therefore. an Ohedient LegiSla ture
enacted laws which he and his ad-
viSerS framed carefully and after
much thought and study. on paper
and theoretically they promised beau
tlfilllN. IntONicantS were not to he
sold within the state except by state
agencies \ commissioners elected by
the Legislature and approved by the
governor, and with offices and ware
house at Columbia the capital. was
the buyer and dist trbutor. paid s.. 900
term was two years. and he was su
pervised and assisted by three direc-
tors, also chosen by the Legislature.
their salaries $400 a year each. They
were NOT required to work more than
90 days in the year. The commits
SionerS accounts were to be super.
NiSed by expert accountants" at 81
day each not to be employed more
than 80 days Of any one year \
Ct Il - i'll,
ture, consisting Of three members,
took inventory of stocks contained
In the main warehouse and reported
a the local distributing points. called
diSpenSarieS. each three months,
heing allowed 81 a day each for not
more than 80 DAYS
All liquors taken for the state
were bought from the lowest bidders
responding To public advertisement.
stating quantities and specifications.
and were analyzed chemically to as
sure purity and quality. Agents for
manufacturers ana dealers were for
hidden ia solicit orders from the com
missioner or to submit samples or
prices otherwise than in answer to
the official advertisements and in com
pliance With the published terms.
Two Counties Dry.
Two of the fortN-one counties had
been dry" consistently many years.
by vote of their people. These were
exempted from the operation of tho
new law by their own request Fol
each Of the other 80 a board of thre.
directors was chosen. one by the
county delegation in the Legislature,
one by the governor, the third by
the local authorities. These directors
decided Where in their respective
counties liquor should he sold. or
dispensed" and appointed the dis
penserS." who had direct charge OF
the places and stocks and did the
selling to customers. Directors were
paid 50 day each. not more than 80
days in a year. and dispensers" were
paid So month and bonded in
$1,000 Local "dispensers" sent or
ders for goods TO the commissioner at
Columbia. who bought the liquors
and wines hy the barrel and bottled
labeled and shipped them. fixing the
prices al which they were to he sold
Al retail Local directors were re.
SponSihle for the conduct and charac.
ter of their dispensers
Liquor and wines were sold only
in seealed hotties, each bottle labeled
with the brand. quantity and price
of It's contents. Beers. aleS and
effervesCent wines were handled in
bottles as sent from hreweries or
cellars. Buyers We're forbidden to
open their purchase on the ''tlispen-
SarN" premises and with each pur-
chase were required to sign a dated
card stating what had been bought and
how much paid. All sale were for
cash. Nothing was to be sold 10 per-
sons of Incorporate habits. nor to
minors, nor before sunrise of after
- 1aI
ln"nthly with the clerk of the county
ia city court and made public eX-
HlhIts. held open for inspection.
Every dispenser was required To
settle each Monday morning, reporting
stock ON hand. III detail. paying the
receipts of the preceding week. one
part To the state treasurer. the other
ia The treasurer of the county. town
or city in which he did business, after
deducting his own pay and rent and
other incidental expenses and his pay
mentS to the commissioner for
supplies ordered and received Towns,
cities and counties divided the receipts
according to fixed ratio \ chief
constable. appointed by the governor
with salary OF l.500 a year and
travelling expenses. was charged with
general enforcement Of the law. 10 he
aided NY such deputies as he and the
government might decide were re-
tuired
Removed Saloon Evils.
Strong arguments We're made to
Ein for this system the favor of all
who hoped to see the evils of the
liquor traffic preveRted or reduced.
The temptations of congenial com
raui"uship. comforts and gossip and
'blINing' in rotation offered by the sa
WnIl3I fbh Fal1uNHI H.
tended