Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-31
BLENDED WHISTLES.
Baltimore Merchants Not Alarmed by
the New Pure Food Act,

BALTIMORE, Md. December 31.-Ac-
cording to blenders of Baltimore whisky.
the decision which Secretary Wilson is
said to have rendered on the subject of
! blended WHISTLES as coming under the pro-
vision of the pure food and drugs act will
not affect the blending trade carried on by
reputable Baltimore concerns.
The decision is not regarded as definite
or final, the Secretary having told whisky
dealers who took him around Baltimore
Friday that he would not yet decide, being
determined to make a thorough and ex-
hauStive investigation.
The decision of the Secretary, as told in
the report from Washington, holds that
blended whistles artificially colored and
favored are really spurious limitations and
that 1.-The mixture of such an imitation with
a genuine article cannot be regarded as a
mixture of like substances within the letter
and intent of the law.
Baltimore blenders although they do not
consider it the final decision of Secretary
Wilson, are not alarmed at it, said Mr..
Samuel ]. Lanahan, senior member the
firm of William Lanahan & Sons, blenders
of whisky
cit would hardly affect Baltimore he said.
"Most of the whisky in Baltimore is pure,
both straight and blended goods, and
there is so little adulteration That the
blenders do not feel at all alarmed. Of
course. 1 am speaking only of the reputa-
BILE houses, and they are in the majority in
this city.
x,
such as extract of rye. That is used, 1
suppose, to give the whisky the taste of
rye whisky, but none Of the blenders of the
better grades use fiavoring. The greater
quantity of whisky sold by Baltimore
houses is high-priced goods 1t is not neces-
sary to flavor 1t artificially
I'VE do use celoring for whisky, but no
exception can be taken to that. The stuff
| used to give the liquor the darker color Is
not injurious. If it were not colored, 1t
would be of a shade much lighter than
whisky usually is
The gin still. which Secretary Wilson
visited, where six barrels of gin are made
a day and sold to blenders Is the gin de-
| partment Of the federal distillery. The
product is sold to be mixed with other
| spirits, and, Mr.. Lanahan said, cheaper
grade of gin is thus produced. That made
| at the federal distillery is pure, as DR..
H. w. Wiley, chief of the bureau of chem
| istry of the Department of Agriculture,
pronounced 1t. ..
"All that talk of impure whisky is moth
| ing. but bugaboo." said another blender.
1.-The whisky made and blended in BaiCi-
more. Is pure, and ne alarm is felt by the
l. trade that the provisions Of the pure food
and drugs act will affect business seriously.
Il do not believe the. decision that Secre-
tary Wilson Is said to have given Is final.
| But even SO, 1t would not hurt any reputa-
Bile Baltimore house. You are always hear
| ing lot about what they, put in whisky
and how impure whisky Is. but what is
made in Baltimore is.. on the whole, good
| and pure enough.
small percentage Of the whisky trade. but
| that small part consists of the cheap adul-
! terated whisky dealers. 1t would not be
| bad for the trade as whole to be rid OF
| them"
The greater part of the whisky trade
of Baltimore consists Of blending After
| January l new label, to be pasted under
| the regular label used by the distiller,
must be used. That, 1t is said, will not in
convenience the trade.