The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-12-26
their use HargeIy tempered with discre.

/
ton.
One of the most curious branches O
the subject is the use that government
has made II as a source of revenue. This
advantage taken of an almost universal
| popular APPETITE may seem unfair, but
| governments have had two potent rea-
sons for having resources to it. There
was no danger that many persons would
discontinue It's use to escape the tax, no
matter how auriferous il might De, and
10 was tax levied at the same time on
luxury aad vice which govern
ments, since they have thought Of the
matter at all, have always held to be
] legitimate. As taxpayer alcohol has
| during the last zoo or 800 wears paid
many billions of dollars 70 support
governments, to build palaces, TO raise
and maintain armies, and to build and
kes p afoat navies. Without being able
TO state the figures exactly, We may say
that it pays now not far from 81 .200, 0O0,-
600 annually to the various govern
ments of the world who avail them
selves of il as means of income.
France began in 1869 to tax alcohol
for benevolent purposes. The tax was
increased in 1717. In 1859 simple
alcohol paid q tax Of $40 the twenty
two gallons. that twice as strong Sill
and spirits OF wine $3.50 for the same
quantity. The tax on alcohol dis
appeared in the sea of universal
liberty in 1871. Napoleon imposed q
moderate tax, and since then IL has
varied IS the twenty-five gallons 70 S25.
the highest rate being moderate from
an American standpoint. But every
time that the government gets seriously
straitened for money threats are made
to raise IL, which are always greeted
throughout the country with q uni
yersal howl of disapprobation. Wines |
are thin and bad IN France and alcohol |
must be had to fortify them, or to
fab-icate others that are absolutely |
fictitious.
Bismarck has kept Germany in a |
ferment for year past by an effort 20 |
increase the income OF the Government |
by raising the tax on alcohol. His sue
cess thus far has been far from cor
responding with the zeal he has man
ifested. But as in France and in Russia |
money must be had 10 maintain vast |
ornaments, and the attempt will be |
sure TO be rewarded the coming winter. |
Alcohol began to be imported from
Venice into Germany in the fourteenth |
century. Since then its use has been |
general among the coal miners and The |
workmen in al its manufacturing cen
tres. Il has been their stimulant. their !
nerve irritant, their chief comfort. q 10 |
has been among all the overworkeG |
population of Europe. Frederick II. |
OF Prussia imposed the first taxes on |
alcohol. In 1910 these taxes were |
changed from the product itself TO the |
distilling apparatus aud the raw ma
terial. 10 favor the manufacture OF al
cohol from potatoes, which is a special |
German industry. This potato alcohol |
is imported into France n large guam
titles. II goes to cogniac, whence il IS
in the form OF cogniac brandy /
10 the United States and elsewhere
Baden, Wurtemburg and Bavaria still
control the tax on alcohol IL Is said /
that Bismarck not only desires 70 raise
the tax on this important product, but /
to absolutely monopolIzs the control OF |
the 1885, distillerIes. which is the aggre-
gate number in the country.
French alcohol. imported into Eng
land By way Of Holland. became fash
ioaable drink Of the gentry about the
end of the seventeenth century. The
financial branch OF tue government
saw at once q means OF increasing the