The Somerset reporter., 1905-10-26
Cider IL Safe.

! Maine farmers with orchards who are
! 10 crested in the manufac uriI & OF apples
lnto cider-ol cou se nos to be used as a
beverage but by the work OF the cht mist.
Nature ultimately 10 be lurned into that
lart and useful liquid known as VDegai-
will be interes ed TO learn that the COM
missioner OF internal rrvnue does moi
propose to require them 10 pay specid
United S ates TAX as he will grocers and
apo hecaies who sell patent medclnes
essences and extracts. In reoly TO cor
respondent Commissioner Yelkes says
there is no special tax under The interna
revenue laws foi The sale OF apple cider
! but he cautions dealerS-and OF course
farmers are to be regarded as dealers as
well as manufacturers, and also groceTs
who sell vlnega hat the only safe course {
for them 10 pursue is for them TO sell the
article beverage or c)ndiment only uuder
its true name and not to attempt t0 pass
II off under some other name This not
withslandlng the fact that pure felm=nted
cider is sad oy chemists 10 contain more
alcohol than beer, or frt quenty az high as
eight per cent. The commissioner goes
Oh To say that so long as cider is sold un-
Ger is tue name 1t may nol be disturbed
bu, when II is mixed with whiskey or
olher iut, xlcant the COVE nmeni may take
action against the dealei-whlch IS Ooo}
/ blow against one oil the most powerful ln'
toxicants known to man.
I The commissioner al the same 'lme
makes other fuiogs OF interest tc orug-
pists and physicians. ii no, to farmers. II
appears thar druggists may use alchohc IL
ouors in compc undng phy>iclans pres CT p
tions, and 10 making uuc ure' for sale IL
good faith for medicinal use only, WITHOUT
snf iecfing . special tax as hqdoI dealers
/ but that whiskev or other alcholc liquors
cannot be prescribed and sold even toi
medicinal use only without sui J=ctng The
dealer 10 The special tax He dec cdes
mrthefmo ore that a ply siclan cannot pre-
scribe whi,key or similar liquor to pa
tient when MOI compounded vi h medi'
cine, without subj c ing himself TO sPecia
tax liability. even though he prescrloes /
for Use as mtdIcine onl On the lace o
/ il then, if the commissioner Is correctly
repor ed. the physician who prescribe'
clear auor is 10 be held as liquor dealer
though as matter OF fact he does no.
deaI In it. This is one of the absurdiles
In which the bureau is likely to be involv-
ed in cons, querces OF the ruling.
Re urniug 10 cider, it is plaln that the
commissioner is right in his Interpretation
of the law a not app ying TO apple juice
/ no matter how potent an toxicant 1t may
be. The law. as regards both production
and sal clearly looks 10 distilled liquors
/ h.
log else. There are long chap ers reat-
/ ing TO these, and 1t is everywhere the
/ brewer an the dlSdll and their wares
There shall be paid on al beer, lager.
beer. ale, porter. and other similar fer
men ed quors, btewed or MANUFACTURED
and sold, or remove for consumption ano
sale, within the United States, by wha
ever name such quors are called. tax O
one dollar for every barreli." And again
"Retail dealers in malt liquors shall pay
fifty dolla's' annual special tx, Bu
cider while a iermented liquor, is not I
malt Iiquor. This would appear 10 appl'
also to the fermented Jul, { OF the grape
known as wine, Tor II is made In substah
lialy the same way as cider. We m
expect to see the " ne makers OF westert
! New York and California next asking Mr.
Yelkt why Their wares are suit ct 10 lh'
special tax. Now the special taxes art
imposed on brewers, manufacturers o
Ills, reclih-rs OF distilled spirits, IRE
tai dealers in liquors" wholesale liquor
deae S" ana IRE all dealers in malt q
uors. beside tobacco manufacturers anc
dealers, with whom we have no presen
concern. The quor dealer is further de
fined as lone who Sc Is, or frs for sale
for,ign or domestic dlsulled spri's Oh
vines" That seems to include the wine
dealers all righ, though there might be
room for qulbbhng over the punctuation
But whyNhoud VINE be taken and ciae'
Ell ; Thee seems to be an inconsistency
I-I0y1IQHd Press