The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-02-23
WHAT'S GOING ON?

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manner in which state liquor monopoly being conducted
should be clarified and that legislation bringing under closer
control of the people should be passed An effort to
pish this by Representative Oscar Helding
standing liberal in the lower house by the introduction of
bill returning the control of the monopoly to the Board of
Examiners composed of officials elected by the people AS
was to be expected the packed committee to which was
referred by the corporation controlled speaker reported
adversely without even giving the author of the bill an OPP
portunty to be heard
Under the present law the Liquor Control Board is ap-
pointed by the governor so the final responsibility for the
conduct of the monopoly in the interests of the people falls
upon his shoulders Up to the present. he has apparently
failed to take note of what be something radically
wrong with it's conduct
By decision of the supreme court which Associate
Justices Ada and Erickson dssented the Liquor Control
Board general terms conducting that feature of the
states business private enterprise However, since the
members of the board ppontee of the would
seem that the people should have right to demand
port of how the business conducted AS matter of fact
the to himself to scrunze its operations and
remedy the deporabe not questionable conditions which
apparently exist.
Let review the results of the operation of the states
liquor business:
first eight months operation of the monopoly
the control of the state board of examiners brought profits of
into the Golfers of the besides of the
advance of 100000 from the for the establishment of
the business In 1885, the state received profits S85OOO
and during these two the state constructed out of profits
us presen large warehouse III eleha ana equpeu e sIaIe
stores with shelving and other equipment In 1886 the state
of the legislature took control of the
state liquor monopoly out of the hands of the Board of E
aminers and provided for the State Liquor Control
$137547792 in 1889 $128402312 in 1910 $1,405 100000
1t charged and otherwise that during these
last there considerable racketeerng
dealings in the state but the state did make substantial profits
notwithstanding.
1941 the year of Governor Fords ncumbency of
the chief executives office and responsible head of the
ton of its bureaus the state liquor monopoly showed profit
of $153037448 from liquor sales and in 1912 S110O0OO
In 1913 turned in to the state treasury only 100000
in 1914 according to Secretary of State Mitchell it only
through form of spup' the part of the state liquor
monopoly that it turned in anything 1t had placed in the
hands of the state treasurer the 1909 which
it later tried to regain of but failed because the
vigilance of the secretary of state.
Now let us look at the inventories of two years
them At the end of 941 according the printed
of the Liquor Control Board inventory
hand otaed in stores and warehouses 773 and its
profits from liquor sales for the
1914 state liquor control board owed for
merchandise something and one-haf million dollars
but showed inventory of merchandise hand aegedy
Examination of the inventory shows the following
warehouses: at
was reported that tequa was being candled in the
warehouses for bugs and other foreign
ventory shows that purchased SIS for
fifth and some for So rs which is 90 ner cent more than
paid for many standard brands of American whiskey.
Evidently the board intends to make brandy drinkers
the Montana population the inventory shows brandy
hand totang $13O8 1895 1t also has hand to the
amount of $71834942 according to the inventory and
ported worth S244,486.51.
by the state of and the greater part the
balance of the inventory cost made up of For
stance, shows Morra Port Wine purchased at S148 for
fifth totaing 1921 08600 Morgada at a S137
for a fifth, totalng S46,325.18
The citizen of the state who anything
liquor will realize that these items totang
the total inventory will be the shelves of the warehouses
Of this merchandise will be Sold sold at ALL at loss to the
state Don't that this merits thought
action your part, legislators and governor?
To anyone familiar with tequa for instance, it is well
that Smells Moreover there distinct unsavory
odor present connection with the acquisition of this amount
If that liquid by the administration of the liquor monopoly
Why bought and at the price paid? the peoples
that used not the private funds of the board
or the board as whole whatever the vested
he board by the decision of the And
these deals quantities of slow
ale merchandise merits the closest scrutiny.
How about governor and members of the legislature?