The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-04-16
LESS LIQUOR REVENUE
Prohibition Said Not to Be the
Cause Of the Decrease.
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER.
Reasons for Decreased Consumption q
Liquor and Consequent Falling Off
in Revenue Collections.

Washington, d, C.Prohibition has
had its effect, but the spread of the
prohibition wave is not by any means
the main cause of the decreased con-
sumption Of liquor in this country,
according to Colonel John G. Capers,
commissioner of internal revenue
In discussing this subject Commits
sioner Capers named three separate
causes ahead of prohibition. as re-
sponsible, in his opinion, for putting
this result. These are: the influence
of the recent panic; the unsettled
condition of the liquor trade, pending
the final settlement Of the conflict
over the marking and branding Of
liquors under the pure food and drugs
act; uncertainty as to the tariff law
and it's effect on the liquor trade, and
finaliy-prohibitiOn
Z. Colonel Capers said there was no
doubt about the fact that in recent
years the consumption of liquor had
decreased. In other words, as he ex-
pressed it, the amount of distilled
spirits and fermented liquors with
drawn from distilleries and bonded
warehouses had shown decrease.
This was proven by the actual sta
tistics OF the production and with
drawal of liquors, and also by the
receipts Of his office.
For the fiscal year ending June 80,
1908, the receipts of the bureau were
1921 ,665, $50, a decrease as compared
with the collections of the preceding
year, of $4,000, 600 in round numbers.
Furthermore, the receipts for the first
quarter of the current fiscal year show
a decrease of $7,000,O00. II this de-
crease is maintained, the total re-
ceipts for this year will fall still be-
low last year to the tune of $685.
100000. Colonel Capers, however, be-
lieves the amount will be made up,
and that the receipts this year will
reach .$250,000,000.
OF course the largest item in the
receipts was from the tax on liquors.
Distilled spirits yielded the govern
ment $133,626,276; fermented liquors,
$58, TAT $50, and tobacco $49, 1862, 764.
Other articles on which the govern
ment collects an internal revenue
duty are oleomargarine, adulterated
butter and renovated butter, but the
receipts from these sources is com
paratiyely small.
A study Of the receipts for the past
ten years shows some interesting
facts. Beginning with 1899, the re-
ceipts of the internal revenue bureau
increased for two years, then de-
creased for the seven years succeed
ing. Only twice in ten years have
the receipts been as high as they
were in 1899, when they reached 1913,
4S4,573. In the past fiscal year they
decreased to $251, $685. The re-
ceipts of last year were S22,000,000
less than the receipts of ten years
ago.
1t must be remembered that the
war taxes laid by act of June 13, 1898,
helped to increase the receipts of the
bureau for the ensuing three years.
BY the subsequent act of March q,
1901, which took effect on the first
day of July of the same year, the rev.
enue was decreased. BY an act APP
| proved April IL, 1902, taking effect
largely increased reduction in re-
ceipts was made. BY aboloishing
| these war duties the revenues of the
country were reduced $100,000,000.
There was, however, an increase of
revenue from taxes laid on distilled
spirits and other objects not affected
by war revenue legislation.
! 1t was in 1902 that the tax act was
passed which practically eliminated
oleomargarine and adulterated butter
from the market by placing tax Of
10 cents pound on these products.
Less liquor was withdrawn from
the general bonded warehouses for
consumption last year. For the year
ending June 30, 1908, the amount was
14,327,472 gallons less than for the
previous year, or only 119,7O3,594 gal
Ions of tax paid spirits distilled from
materials other than fruits were with
drawn. A great many people will
take issue with Commissioner Capers'
statement that prohibition has had
but little, if anything, to do with this
result.
The total production of distilled
spirits in 1907 was 174,712,218 and In
1908, 1883, 1858. Every year for the
past decade, the production of spirits
has exceeded the amount withdrawn
for all purposes, and at the close Of
1907 there had accumulated in distil-
lery and general bonded warehouses
stock Of 245,43S,816 original gauge
gallons. Then the liquor men took
counsel among themselves and decid-
ed to curtau production