The Farmville Herald

State Board Refuses To Extend ABC Store Saturday Hours Here

Not in public interest citizens of Farmville urging that we not extend the Saturday store hours there, the reply continues.

A request for lengthening the Saturday hours of the ABC store at Farmville has been denied by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

Answering the request this week, the state board informed the Farmville town council that "after careful consideration, it is the opinion of this Board that any extension of the hours of sale at A.B.C. Store No. 152 would be contrary to the best interests of the community and of the Alcoholic Beverage Control System."

The store here closes at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. A petition, originating in the business community, with Chamber of Commerce endorsement, was forwarded to the state board asking the closing hour to be extended to 5:30 p.m.

Council Forwards

At its September session, the town council agreed to make the request contained in the petition and transmitted it to Richmond.

In a letter directed to the town council through W. J. Gills, Jr., town treasurer, John G. Bruce, a State ABC Board member outlined the opinion of the full board.

"As you know," the denial reply states, "the Alcoholic Beverage Control System was established to regulate and control the sale of alcoholic beverages. The framers of the Act set forth the following principles: 'Temperance, Social Betterment, and Respect For Law Should Be the Prime Objectives Of Any System Of Liquor Control' and The System Should Not Have For Its Object The Rehabilitation Of the Finances Of Any Class Of Citizens, Any Industry or Locality."

Competitive Hardship

That portion of the letter apparently was in answer to the business community's view here that 6 p.m. Saturday closing hours of stores in nearby communities have an adverse effect on business here, and constitute a competitive hardship which the board could rectify.

The board's letter also indicated that the members have received no complaint of public inconvenience arising from the present closing hours.

"We have, however, received numerous communications from interested citizens of Farmville urging that we not extend the Saturday store hours there," the reply continues.

To grant the request or the Town Council at this time would be to depart, to that extent, from the principles to which the Board adheres," the denial concluded.

The ABC Stores at Crewe, Dillwyn and Scottsville have 6 p.m. Saturday closing hours.

The 2 p.m. hour at Farmville was set by the board, upon local request and by agreement with regional communities during the war years when the week end influx of servicemen from Camp Pickett warranted it in the opinion of the council.