The morning call., 1892-12-19
WHISKY IS UP.

The whisky trust, which has had such
long fight with the public and the Govern
ment, now feels itself secure enough to at
tempt the fulfillment Of the object of its or
ganiZation, and has raised the price Of high
wines 10 cents gallon since December i.
On that day the price of distilled spirits
was 81 10, of which 80 cents was for the
Internal revenue tax; thus tie advance in
the price OF the product in two weeks has
been 55 per cent This enormous advance
applies TO production of about Sc, 060, 900
gallons Der year of spirits distilled from
materials other than apples, peaches and
grapes. The trust must be preparing to de.
clare dividends.
Fifteen years ago the distilleries which it
now embraces were on the edge of bank
ruptcy. They had produced more whisky
than the world was prepared to consume
The law allowed them to bond their whisky
for three years before paying the tax
When the three years expired the market
was in no better condition 10 take the goods
than 1t had been before. To escape ruin
various devices were resorted to by the ais-
tillers. They shipped whisky 10 Bermuda.
Bremen and other foreign ports, and reim-
ported it without payment of duty under
the drawback provision of the law. By this
and other similar contrivances the dstilier.
managed to work off their stock. A number
Of distilleries were bought and closed, others
agreed TO reduce their output. ii is believed
that last year production was brought down
to the level of consumption. When that
took place the distillers clamored for profits.
and the recent action of the trust is the re-
suit.
If the advance were large enough to affect
consumption it ght not be a matter of
much general regret. All right-minded
people, whether they approve the policy OF
the prohibitionists or not, would like to see
less whisky drunk. But an advance of Is
cents gallon in the wholesale price of high
wines will not make much difference in the
cost Of glass Of whisky The topper can
get drunk for about The same money he paid
last year. The dealers profits will be re-
duced and those of the dstiller increased.
That is redistribution with which the
public has no concern. The event only
interests people at large inasmuch as il
demonstrates the power of the trust to fix
the price of an article OF general consump.
ton and to defeat the natural operation of
the law of supply and demand by combina-
ton.
Moralists have observed with pain that
the efforts TO diminish the consumption of
distilled liquors by the substitution of bey-
erages less heavily charged with alcohol.
and consequently less deleterious, have been
absolute failures. Wine-makers constantly
tell Us that if we promote the use of claret
whisky will not be so generally drunk
Brewers assert that the use OF lager beer Is
calculated 10 diminish the number of
whisky-drlnkers. Unfortunately, the sta
tistics of the Internal Revenue Department
demonstrate that the consumption of all
three liquids proceeds pari passu. that the
more wine and beer are drunk the more
whisky will be drunk likewise. 1t seems
that when man begins to drink at places
OK public resort he will not care much what
he drinks, but will eventually fall back on
whisky as the fercest stimulant This is
mol an American popularity. More cognac
IS consumed in the wine districts of France
IMAM 10 districts where no wine Is grown.
some evils can never be eradicated; wise
reiormers viii concentrate their efforts ON
trying to mitigate them. The posterjtv of
Noah is not likely to adopt prohibition as n
rule OF life. No traveller ever discovered q
savage race which was unaequainted with
the use of alcohol. The duty IS TINS ALI the
more Incumbent on men of worthy iupulses
to persevere in their efforts to confine the
evil within the narrowest possihle lip,its