Evening star., 1933-12-07
D|SPENSARY PROFIT
SCHEDULED TO CUT
MONTGOMERY TAX
100000 to $25O,C00 Ex.
pected to Accrue to Cof-
fers of County.
10 TO rs CENT SLASH
FORESEEN BY LACY SHAW
Throngs Mill in High Fettle and
Purchase Eight Cases in
80 Minutes.
BY JACK ALLEN,
STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.

otah SOAAcSpS2ioSAb Va 4AS oSdI.
SILVER SPRING, Md, December T.
Montgomery County property owners
will reap a handsome reward from the
sale of whisky in the county-operated
dispensaries which opened last night
with milling throng Of 1,500 Wash
ington and Maryland residents, who
sought to buy liquor.
Profits from the liquor sale will be
applied to the retirement of bonded
indebtedness for school and road con-
struction and will bring about a sharp
reduction in the county's present tax
rate of 95 cents on the $100 assessment,
it was said today by Lacy Shaw, presi-
dent of the Board Of County Commits
sioners.
1t has been estimated that the dis
pensary system profits will range from
100000 to $3.50, 900 the first year, Shaw
declared If the profits aggregate
100000, the reduction will be approx
imately 10 cents, while the cut would
be about Is cents If the higher figure
is attained. he said.
First in SO Dry Years.
Opening of the dispensaries last night
marked the first legal sale of liquor,
other than that sold for medicinal pur-
poses, in IA years in the vicinity of
Washington and brought to an end
the 53-year drought in Montgomery
County, where the sale of whisky has
been banned since 1880 by local option
law.
A truck loaded with $4,000 ship
ment of $50 cases of whisky, wines,
brandy and gin from Baltimore rolled
up to the local dispensary shortly after
o'clock and was greeted by lusty
cheers from crowd of several hun
dred people which had been awaiting
its arrival throughout the better part OF
the afternoon.
The first legal sale was consumated
at 1903 pm, and despite the high
prices, the entire shipment, with the
exception of a few cases which were
held back, was snapped up by the
crowd by o'clock, when the dispenSa-
ries were closed.
New Supply Expected.
The stores of the dispensary system
IN Silver Spring and Bethesda re-
opened this morning with small sup
ply on hand, but fresh shipment
sufficient to take care Of demands was
expected momentarily. The dispensary
in Rockville will begin operation this
afternoon. ....... ......
Impatient cries which greeted the
unloading, stamping and marking
processes at the dispensary last night
hushed when John G. Walker, man
. ager of the dispensary system and
member of the County Liquor Control
Board, called for order and asked for
permission to purchase the first quart
bottle of whisky as a. keepsake for his
daughter-in-law, Mrs. Curtis Walker
of Chevy Chase.
Thunderous approval was given, the
sale was consumated, and moment
later r. P. Leizear, a Silver Spring
lumber dealer, bought the first bottle
sold across the counter. Leizear re-
appeared shortly afterwards and made
another purchase, announcing that he
would preserve the first as a souvenir.
Crowd Quickly Gathers.
, Word that the first shipment of
liquor had arrived spread quickly
/ throughout the county and into Wash
lington, and the throng that congested
1.-THE narrow confines Of the local store
received reinforcements in the form OF
! hundreds of people good-naturedly
waving their money aloft and shouting
for service.
Among them were four women who
forced their way into the d1spensary,
made their purchases and departed
hurriedly-shielding their faces from
the f1ashlight flares and clicking CAM
eras of newspaper photographers who
yainly sought pictures. :.
Many of the people who arrived
after the whisky was placed on sale
came out from Washington in taMcabs,
and left Immediately for the Capital,
where they met no resistance from the
police. although the Volstead act will
remain in force there until Congress
can convene and enact control legisla-
ton.
Eight Cases Last 30 Minutes.
Walker said that eight cases of the
various beverages placed on sale were
disposed of during the first 80 minutes
of business, while the store took in
81 500 in little more than an hour.
So great were the cries for service
that newspaper men and representa-
tives of the distillery that sold the
county its first shipment Of liquors
"pitched in" and helped the clerks and
dispensary officials with their work of
satisfying the demands of the throng.
Photographers made numerous pic
lures of celebrants who, unable to wait
to get home with their purchases, un
corked their bottles and drank freely
on the side streets near the dispensary.