New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-30
COST OF THE RUM TRADE.

COST OF THE RUN TRADE.
We are hearing constant complaint. a1d cx-
clamations Of surprise and a'arm at the ia niae
prices of food of all sorts, and especially of
breads.ufls and meat. 1t would be curious To-
quiIy to ascertain, If it were possible, just no
much the country is paying at this time 10 tie
way Of extra prices therefor, in consequence the
rum traffic. Corn ia selling in the matke. fJr one
dollar and sixteen cents a bushtl. and superfne
-four for twelve dollars barrel on the average.
If the various grains which are consumed ia our
distilleries, were net 30 used, but were ground
for human consumption, or fed to amin ais to
make beef pork, poultry, and other meats, it is
perfectly safe to assume that We should to-day be
buying flour at five dollars a barrel snd corn at
fifty cent?, and butchers meats 10 proportion.
There are food and meat enough in the couatryto
sustain it's population until the next harvest with
out doubt. Whence then the famine prices We
are paying! Simply because the ordinary re-
serves of grain carried over from one season to
another, are being 30 greatly reduced. There is
grain. growing districts. No farmers granary is
over the agricultural districts, looking up spare
lots of grain wherever they can be found. The
high prices make ptop'e apprehensive. and the
eseerness to buy stimulates the holder to con.
slant advance 1t is not because there is not
grain enough to feed the community that this
state of things exists in regard to price, bu. be-
cause of the unususl reduction Of the perm nept
stock in the couniry. Hence i. may Soe readiy
seen that no exceeding large additional supply
is needed to bring back the markets 10 their usual
state. A very moderate quantity, on the contrary,
would restore the equilibrium between supply
and demand now so disturbed by the causes We
have glanced at, aud give Us both bread and mea.
at reasonable prices. Far less We are sure,
would be required for this than the quantity OF
grain consumed in the last six months in our
distilleIies.
We have not consulted the census tables to see
what proportion Of our product Of grain is die.
tile into spirits but the quantity is enormous.
There are single distilleries in the country tina.
consume one thousand bushels Of corn every day
in the manufacture of whisky alone. Millions
upon millions Of bushels are thus annually worse
than wasted, by being converted into Intoxicating
drinks. Suppo,e these millions were to day in
our grapsiies, should we hear word of COM
plant of scarcity Notasyllable. There would
be no scarcity and thus there could be No CON-
plant.
The scarcity and high priccs then of both bread
and meats in the country are fairly chargeAble to
very greatexteh beIum and whisky dealers and
their supporters. II it for the dis.illeres
then, our people would undoubtedly no " be buying
as We have sail, flour at five dollars, and corn a.
fifty cents, in this market. TIE consumption Of
New-York and its suburbs IN the way of bread
stuff., must be equivalent to million barrels Of
| -four year. If -four were FIVE dollars barrel
instead Of twelve, this community would be pay
ipg at the rate Of seven million dollars year less
than they are now paying for the single ars,le Of
bread. In meats the difference is equally great
Thus it is plain that in the single article Of bread
or meats, this City and its immediate suburbs,
are paying hardly les, than fifteen millions OF
dollars year over and above the price they
would have to pay if the trade even in domestic
spirits could be stopped. In some previous re-
marls upon this topic We enumerated some OF
the various ways in which the trade in ardent
spirits taxed our citizens, tax amounting at
reasonable estimate to ten millions year. Tito
that sam we add the amount aforementioned,
we find that the people Of New York and its VI
entity are paying to-day at the rate Of at least
twenty. FIVE millions Of dollars per snIum to sus'
tain the manufacture and traffic In intoxicating
dripks. This is equivalent to the interest on
capital of four hundred millions of dollars.
With such state Of things staring Us in the
face, it not Surprising that men have the Auds-
city to talk about the pecuriary losses to fall upon
our citizens II tie run-trade should be cup
pres,ed' IL it net amazing that people will &C.
riously strive to maintain the traffic in tie face
Of such tremendous pecuniary sacrifices - 1t ne
eeisitstes' But If it be thus, simply In its eco
nomic aspect, how much more emphatic " the
| condemn stion of the rum.trsde, when regarded