Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-05-14
UNCLE SANS DRINK BILL
The Consumption of Whiskey and
Beer Is Increasing.
Greater Use OF Cts ar g and Cigarettes
Rapid Growth in Expectation OF
Manufs ctures Illustrated in
comparative Figures.

Are whiskoy and bccr drinking. cigar
and cigarette smoking and card playing
in the United states on the increase? 1t
would appear from an eNamna ton Of the
latest report OF receipts issued by COM
missioner of Internal Revenue SerkoS
that an affirmative answer should he made
in each of these cases, says the Washing
ton correspondent of the Brooklyn Eagle.
Temperance acitators will find plenty
or ammunition to back up their preach
iucs in the figures contained in this re-
port. for thcy indicate that there Is a
steady iCroaSc in the consumption of
whiskcN, hc"r cigars and cigarettes and
in the production of playing cards
While there has been steady gain for
the past nine months in receipts from
these sources of taxation. there was
pronounced jump in the returns for the
month of March which has directed spe-
Cial attention to the drinking and smok-
ms habits of the people of the country.
il would seem that whiskey drinking is
on the increase. for the gain in taxes on
that commodity is greater than in any of
the others.
The distilers of the United States paid
into the treasury during the month of
March over n million dollars more than
they did in the month of March. 1902
The total receipts from the tax of $l10
gallon last month were $1,000 2j2. as
month a year ago. During the nine
months of the present fiscal year the
government has collected 95.9lS.?lS from
the whiskey dstillers. This is easily the
most important item of internal revenue
taxation. the balance of the receipts from
special taxes on receipts wholesale ana
retail LIQUOR dealers licenses etc, bring
Ing the total for spirits up to Sl0l3l5,oD
The removal OF the war tax on beer
WAS a great boon to the brewers of the
country, putting INTO their pockets no less
than $lSWnNp since June 30 last There
has hc"n n big gain in the total produc-
ton OF beer during the past nine months
as compared with the corresponding per
sod of last year. For instance, the produce
ton in March, 1902, was 3,35f,"N barrels
ana last month 1t was 3,5l6,5Ta barrels. as
congress Topped off 80 cents from the
former tax on n barrel of beer. the net
proceeds of tho government from this
source of taxation have fallen off CON
siderahlv. The decline since June last
amounts 10 over SlS0o~o
The rocerts from the tax on beer Tor
N, past ninc months amounted to sS',
hS|N' Among all the fermented liquors
mat are taxed by the government Deer
yields the largest revenue. The taxes on
brewers, retail and wholesale dealers, etc.
for the past nine months amounted to
only about sl,npH.
The record in regard to cigar and ciga-
rettc taxation tends TO prove That as a
ration we are consuming larger quantities
of tobacco every year. There was an m
crease in the receipts from the tax on
cigars during the month of March of
sl67.WN. The government got from cigar
manufacturers a total OF l'T72p last
month. as against Sl,Je.94 for the cor
responding month year ago. The gain
for the period of nine months amounts to
over SlA6opo
IT anything, the increase IN the con-