The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-09-09
'rgument TO show that prohibition makes

argument TO show that prohibition make;
good business for the liquor crowd.
AS TO the slight increase in liquor con
sumption for the year ended June 80
1910, over the preceding year, ii should
be noted that these figures are furnished
by the Times Union. They may or may
not be the same as the government will
eventually give out II they are correct,
it merely proves that liquor dealers with.
drew that much liquor from bond, or
Govt control and paid the internal reven.
ue tax on it. That is all the Government
figures show. And any one familiar
with the workings of the liquor dealers
especially the manufacturers knows
that they often withdraw much more
than they need for immediate or even
remote use. They do this late in the
government fiscal year to make big
! showing. Having had decrease amount
ing to almost 85,000,0O0 gallons in the
two years of 1908 and 1909. it was up
to them to make a showing this year
rather than fall down three years in
succession.
TIMEs-UNION PROBABLY WRONG.
On top of all the above, there is strong
probability that even the figures on
which the Times-Union based its edi-
torial are absolutely wrong. give you
the following, clipped from Bonfort's
Wine and Spirit Circular, issue of June
25th, 1910. The clipping is the entire
article as il appeared in Bonfort's, no
comment of any kind accompanying ii.
II reads as follows:
"The consumption of alcoholic
beverages has decreased during the
past two years $110, 1S5, 800, accord
ing 10 today's issue of the American
Grocer. This publication says that
during 1909 the consumption of
liquor was: Whisky, $566, ,913,3 ,331;
beer, 1879, 1872 ,542; wines, $1O7,219,-
900; total, 81, ,554 1868 For 1907,
the estimated total retail cost of
liquor was 1861, ,191, 1863. Accord
ing to the Bureau of Statistics, the
population increased 2,749,996 in
the same period. The per capita
use of spirits is the smallest since
1900 and of beer since 1905. Last
years consumption of tea, coffee
and cocoa was the largest since
1905"
For myself the above article from the
American Grocer settles the matter en-
tirely. That journal is absolutely i'm
partial and has no interests at stake. SO
far as the liquor traffic is concerned. 1t
is an impartial authority. AS much can
not be said for the local Qiquor) option
press from the Times Union on down
or up. Men who want the facts will
give more heed to the American Grocer
than TO liquor-inspired editorials in par
tiSan papers.
AS journalist yourself, you are aware
that unscrupulous and "kept" news.
papers have plenty of opportunities to
publish 'for a consideration" entirely
erroneous material for the direct pur-
pose of misleading readers who do not
get below the surface in their investiga-
tionS. Such was the case when local
paper recently published a fake inter
view said to have been given out in Say
annah by Lieutenant Governor Gray, as
to the alleged failure of prohibition in
Alabama. The writer of the interview
made it up out OF whole cloth, as a
letter in my possession from Governor
Gray proves.
Much of this fool talk about prohibi-
ton increasing the sale of liquor is of
the same diabolical origin.
Yours most cordially,
C. L. COLLINS,
Superintendent.