The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-03
THE WHISKY TAX.
Distillers Preparing to Urge Congress to
Make Reduction.

Distillers Preparing to Urge Congress to
Make Reduction.
Washington Special to New York Post.
Representatives of the distilling interests are
feeling their way to reduction of the tax on
whisky from 80 cents to so cents a gallon. The
argument advanced is that such reduction
would so increase the consumption of alcohol in
the mechanical arts that there would not be any
decrease of revenue arising therefrom. By thus
presenting their project as neutral element in
the tariff agitation calculated neither to increase
nor diminish receipts from internal-revenue
sourches. and, therefore, neither obnoxious to
those who wish internal-revenue taxation dimn-
ished in order to increase the necessity of GUS
toms duties, nor to those who wish to see the
present tariff laws reformed, they expect to steer
between Scylla and Charybdis and to engraft
their measure upon any tariff legislation which
may be undertaken.
Commissioner Miller in his report, though he
makes no distinct recommendation for the re-
duction of the tax upon distilled spirits. dis
cusses the extent to which ethyl alcohol THAT is
grain distilled spirit is being driven out of the
market by untaxed wood alcohol or naphtha
He says:
'It has been represented to me that m manufact-
urers employing tax paid grain alcohol in their
business find other manufacturers successfully
using wood naphtha for like purposes, with re-
suits detrimental to the business of those using
alcohol. 1t is further stated that the process of
deodoriZing wood alcohol has been so far per-
fected as to render it possible to employ it in
many of the arts and trades in place of ethyl
alcohol without detection and possibly with
equal advantage. This information has been so
recently received that it has not been practica-
BILE to fully verify the statements made. But l
have thought it best to invite attention to the
matter at this time in view of the important con-
sequences which might follow if these represen-
tatlons should prove to be we'll founded If
wood alcohol can be deodorized to a considerable
degree, it not entirely, its employment in the
various manufactures from which it has hereto
tofore been excluded may affect to some extent
the production of grain alcohol, from which, in
Its various grades. SO large proportion of the
revenue from distilled spirits is derived"
1t is among the traditions of the Internal
Revenue Office that several years ago, when
General Raum was Commissioner a prominent
brooklyn politician and lawyer, employed by the
distlllers brought over bottle of wood alcohol
SO show the Commissioner to what extent it was
being deodorized and put in competition with
tax-paid spirits. Unfortunately during his dem
onstration he dropped the bottle and DroKe It,
and spilled it's contents, and for days afterward
the windows in the Commissioners office had to
be kept open. though it was mdwinter, to get
rid of the abominable stencil Of the ''deodorized"
article The next annual report of tho Commits
sioner did not recommend any reduction of the
tax on whisky because of the competition of
wool alcohol