The Greeley tribune., 1910-09-08
CLAIM oRlNKINa ON INCREASE

CLAIM DRINKING ON INCREASE
While it ID generally admitted
that temperance sentiment is In
creasing in the United States, yet Of
fetal figures seem to show that the
people are drinking more liquor. and
the daily press are again putting the
question. Does prohibition pro-
hibit." Each year shows an increase
of dry" territory. and prohibition
lists have been quoted ~ estimating
that more than half the territory OF
the United States 10 under q state
wide or local prohibition. yet pre-
liminary report of the internal reve-
nue. bureau tells US that the receipts
from the tax on distilled spirits have
been increasing for ten years. those
for the fiscal year just closed consid-
erably exceeding those Of any pre-
ceeding year except 1907. Using
the revenues as a guide to quantity
consumed. there appears to have
been an increase Of about 80 per
cent in the last ten years." notes the
New York Sun. which goes on to
present = summary of the more i'm
portant figures in the commission
er's report. report. by the way.
which it deems scarcely consoling
to the dries:
The reported consumption OF do
nestle spirits, including the product
of fruits as we'll as of grains. is. for
1900. 95.651.396 gallons. and for
1910, 12S.657,776. In the same
time the imports of spirits have in
creased from 1,7O5,46 gallons to
4,262,421 gallons. Consumption of
fluids classed as fermented liquors
has increased from 3s.33O.S49 bar
rels in 1900 to 59,4S5,117 in 1910,
SO per cent"
| A fact which the Suns Washing
ton correspondent also manages to
CLEAN from the Internal Revenue
figures is that we are rapidly be-
coming a nation of cigaret smokers.
Although the per capita consump-
tion of cigars has increased 10 per
cent, still more remarkable has
been the increased use of cigarets.
Ten years ago the American peo-
pie smoked two cigars to one cfgaret
today the number of each consumed
is about the same. The record OF
cigaret production in 1900 shows
the use of 2.63s.s99.7s5. while the
record for 1910 shows 7.S74,3O0-
329 cigarets. as compared with g..
139,O3O,144 cigars"
The New York Times IL tempted
to inquire "what effect, IL any. the
wide spread prohibition movement
of recent years has had upon the act
ual drinking habits Of the people. I"
and concludes editorially that an in
creased per capita consumption from
1850 gallons in 1897 to 31.s5 gal-
Ions in 1903. with an .pparently
rising scale to date holds forth
slight hope that prohibition has ac-
complished more than to stimulate
the thirst of the new prohibition
states"
Secretary G. r. Washburne, of the
National Model License League, as
serts that prohibition ID directly re-
sponsible for the enormous increase
in the consumption of liquor for 1t
has caused the introduction of bot
ties. cases. jugs. and barrels Of vari-
GUS kinds OF alcoholic drinks into
homes where liquor had never ent-
cred under the license system. The
success of the mail order business
has been proportionate to the spread
of dry territory. not to mention the
growth Of the blind-tiger and moon
shining industries"
According to the Associated Pro-
hibitfon Press this increased con-
sumption of liquor b simply . call
to tho anti-liquor hosts to stop med
ding with compromise and halfway
measures and to make an aggressive
campaign for the complete aboli-
tion Of all interstate traffic IN in
toxicating liquors." Then every
manufacturer Of alcoholic poison
will be bottled mp within his own
state until the epople OF that COM
monwealth decide TO shut him up al
together Digest.