The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-07-28
DOWN AT WASHINGTON
The Committee Investigating
the Whisky Trust.
THE CONFEDERATE STEAMERS
Interstate CoEuuserce-Mtitary AK
fairs-To Re Paid in Cold ana -
Suver-In COneress-Etc. K.
Washington whispers.
The WHISKY TRUST.

WAsH1NeToS, July 27.-At a meeting
Of tie House committee on manufac-
lures. to-day, Chairman Bacon an
noupced that the committee would
proceed to the Investigation OF the so
called whisky trust. and called J. NJ
Athoun, of Louisville. The company's
headquarters, witness said, were located
in La Rue County, KY. 1t was not
engaged in distilling whisky, but 10
handling the whisky of number of
firms, who do distillipg business in
their own names. the witness SAID
most of the large distilleries OF line
kentucky whisky. according to an
agreement, by which they bound them
.ssives. produced no whisky in the
fiscal wear 1888. The combined pro-
auctions of these non signers was
estimated at $500 0C0.,
The agreement grew out of the fact
that there had been very large over
production of wbiskey. In order to
protect the owners of this whiskey from
the effects of over production. the
agreement to suspend operstions from
july lat, 1887. to July LIST, 1888, was en-
tered into. This agreement, the WIZ
ness desired to say. was not IN the ma
rture OF trust. there was no oonsoh
dalton of property nor merging OF IN
teres's.
Witness, asked by Buchanan, exclud-
ing the internal revenue tax. what is
the cost of a gallon of whisky laid down
in bonded warehousu3
Witness-That depends on q great
many factors which vary considerably,
but assuming that corn sells for 30
cents, rye 80 cents aud malt a. so cents
bushel, gallon of audard B ourbon
with interest on the plant, would cost,
say 30 cents, and excluding interest On
SJbe plant % To q cents of this.
Buchanan-What would be the effect
of recurring this tax to be paid when the
whisky is produced?
Witnes Sit would substantially de-
strOy Iug ulanufa ;tuIe of due WHISTLES,
because of the Increased cost of whIs-
kies, when they Wert fl for use, grow
ing out OF the fact that every gallon
that evap1rated would be the tax PAID
Der gallon, and because u the heavy
expense Of carrying whisky Tor several
years, Insurance, etc. The amount OIL
money reg Tired in tbs business would
be 50 greet that no distiiler could do
FSugh 3 law would lead TO com citations,
and rich combinations would absorb all.
W. II. Thomas, OF Louisville,
testified that one o. the reasons of the
exoort of whisky to Europe was that he
and Others believed Kentucky WHISKY
better than foreign compound liquors,
and thought they might make mar
ket for it in Europe. Ninety per cent
of the whisky exported was owned by
wholesale dealers, and he believed that
If they all unit.d they could build up q
big trade III Europe. He was not IL
favor of the repeal of the tax on liquor
for the reason that every farmsr With {
stream near his farm would 20 into tn;
business and ruin the distIller:eS by
4oyer-Crodu3tiOn. With the whisky taz
he believed th"re would be ten time;
the amount consumed.
CONFEDERATE STEAMERS.
In response to the Senate resolution
calling upon him for evidence in tn
Treasury Department relating to prop
erty of the United States and to which
& the United STATES has a valid clam
which is held il adverse poss5ssioa 0
the Ssc-etary IF the Treasury to-day
transmitted 70 the senate reports OF th'
Solicitor of the Treasury and commits
.sioners of the. internal revenue on th'
E auoisct. The most in ;eEeStiHg of tht
documents returned is a letter from NJ Z
Little Page. lately employed as agent 0
the Treasury, to assist in the proven tloI
and detection Of frauds upon the Gus
toms revenue. Ia q lstter. dated No
yemosr Ii 1887. he says he went TO bis
home il King William County to ex
annie his old confederate papers made
aud received while in Europe undei
order of the then Confederate States
government to obtain the accurate
date. He says he found tia
lin the winter of 1864 he was dered t.
toe Confederate snip, The Texas, ala
the Pompeiro. This vessel was built 8
Glasgow, and No. L s'ooQ OF war
and was to have received her arrnamen
and equipment while lying on the coas
of England by another vessel. Captain
Henry Sinclair, OF the Confederate
States navy, who superintendent th'
construction of the We sci, says her Cos
was 81, 400, 600, all of which was fuily
paid bv the Confederate govern
ment. TIE vessel, he says, started
to sea, but having been reported
IS a confederate cruiser was seized
Captain Sinclair, rather than carry bel
through the courts, secured her releass
by guaranteeing she should not go into
tbs hands of the confederscy, and theI
should pc entitled to have her. III
then chartered her. erf when few
months after the C'R'' i r&cy was COL
lapsed. she was SAILING under the same
charter. He adCs ..:!t this vessel wa
fully paid for by th> confederate Gov
eminent and shruld belong t
the United States. Shs Is still
valuable and is now tradlps
between Edinburgh end Copenhagen
He adds that there sre other Clyte bull
steamers constructed by the Conteder-
ass government similarly disposed o
by their agents or captains. which
should now belong to the United States
There were also two powerful ram
built by Baird & Co. on the Mersy, q:
teusibIy for the Chinese government
but inspected and tested by Confederat
officers. They were. he says. seize
by British authorities and wer
1nally disposed Of by Con ederat