Semi-weekly herald., 1908-02-17
NO LOSS TO FARMER
IN CLOSING SALOONS.


WASHINGTON, Feb. s.--several
Inquiries have been made recently re
garding the amount of corn used for
the manufacture of beer and whiskey
1t appears that the liquor dealers as
sociations are trying to persuade the
farmers of the country against prohi-
bition by warning them that the mar
ket for corn will be ruined II the brew
cries and distilleries are closed.
The secretary of agriculture and
the commissioner of internal revenue
have received frequent letters on this
subject and their replies have always
been that the proportion of the corn
liquor is almost infinitisemal. Secre-
tary Wilson told me yesterday that II
was about 2 per cent The corn crop
harvested last fall amounted to 2,553,-
$4,000 bushels. OF this not more
than $4,000 O00 bushels was used for
the Manufacture of distilled and malt
liquors.
The value of the corn crop last fall,
according TO Secretary Wilson's es-
innate, was $3.50, 100000, while the
value of the corn used by the distill-
ers and the brewers during the year
is estimated to have been from s20,-
100000 to s21 21,O0O,00OO.
Mr.. Gioyannoli, chief clerk OF the
internal revenue bureau, says that
23,474.5O9 bushels OF corn were used
last year for the manufacture of dis
titled spirits. That includes not only
whiskey and other beverages, but the
larger proportion was for alcohol and
other spirits used in the trades and
arts.
Mr.. Giovannoli explains that the bu-
reau does not compile the returns Goa
cerning the amount of corn used in
the manufacture OF malt liquors, but
1t is much less than for distilled
liquors because hops, barley, rice and
other grains are used for beer rather
than corn.
The internal revenue bureau, there
fore. confirms the estimate OF the de
partment OF agriculture that only an
infinitesimal percentage of the corn
crop is used for whiskey or beer and
even If all the distillers and all the
breweries were closed the farmers
would never suspect it, so far as their
market for corn is concerned
l have also been asked by several
people whether there has been any
decrease in the number of liquor
licenses granted by the government
since the prohibition wave struck the
country. In reply, Mr. Giovannoli
says that the returns show an in
crease of about 500 wholesale licenses
and about 1000 retail licenses during
the first three months of the present
fiscal year. The returns also show an
increase of 12,0O00OO gallons in the
consumption of whiskey and other DIS
titled liquors and an increase of about
$12,000,000 in the revenue collected
upon distilled and malt liquors over
the previous year.
1t should be understood that every
person who sells liquor for any pur-
pose, every druggist who keeps it for
medicinal purposes and sells it upon
the prescriptions of physicians; every
grocer who sells brandy, whislSey,
wine. beer or other preparations con
tanning alcohol for cooking or table
purposes. is required to obtain
license from the national government.
The increase OF licenses for retail
trade includes all such dealers, which
Is about the usual annual gain But
Wholesale licenses are not granted to
anyone except those who deal almost
exclusively in strong drink, and, as |
have said. the increase was 500 last
year.
1t is not possible to tell whether
there has been any falling of in the
number of licenses in the new pro.
hibition states, because the returns
are not in for the short time since the
prohibitory laws went into effect.
Last year there were 105 Wholesale
and 1929 retail liquor dealers in Geor-
gia, and 6S wholesale and 1.74S retail
dealers Elm Alabama including drug
gists and grocers, which cannot be
distinguished from saloonkeepers. In
Kansas last year there were 2S
licenses granted to wholesale liquor
dealers and 2,5S3 to retail liquor deal
ers No one can tell how many OF
these We're for saloons. There has
been no perceptible decrease In the
revenues from liquor licenses in any
OF the prohibition states for the last
few years. which is explained on the
theory that the number of druggists
and grocers selling for medicinal pur.
poses has increased as rapidly as the
number Of saloons has decreased.
Nor has the enactment of prohibit
tion laws decreased the revenues oil
the government from the manufacture
and sale OF liquor. This is accounted
for on the theory that the use OF dis
titled spirits in the manufactures and