McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1913-10-10
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NO INCREASE IN DRINKING.

NO tNCHEASE TN DNiNNiNG.
The internal revenue report for
1918 has been widely commented upon
by the press, its figures being gener-
ally accepted as proof of an increase
In drinking, notable" alarming"
shameless" according to the point
of view of the commentator. We do
not challenge the accuracy Of the re-
port, but we do maintain. that the
press of the country has gwen 1t too
hasty consideration, and that the pub
lie has too readily accepted the con-
illusions of the newspapers. The fig
ures given are true as far as they go,
but 1t is not the province of the In
ternal revenue commission to explain
those figures. The National w. G. T..
o., through its bureau OF publicity,
sends out the following explanation:
First, with regard to distilled
liquors, II is not 80 generally known
as 1t should be that the figures of the
government report are based on the
number of gallons withdrawn by
wholesalers from the bonded ware
houses, and that the amount for any
one year may or may not represent
the actual consumption for that year.
1t happens that for the year just
closed the amount withdrawn does
not represent actual consumption. To
the average reader the situation Is
somewhat confusing, but 1t Is easily
explained. Under the law liquor may
remain In bond not longer than eight
years At the expiration Of that time
1t must be removed from the govern
ment warehouses whether there Is
demand for it or not. During the year
covered by the 1918 report large
amount was, 1t Is stated, thrown upon
the market because the bonding Pc
Rod had expired. The fact that such
large quantity remained In bond I'M
til forced out by the time limit Is
sufficient proof that the sale of spir-
ituous liquors has been decreasing.
When the liquor Ia taken from the
bonded warehouses the government
tax is paid. and 1t Is then officially re-
corded as consumed" The truth of
the matter Is that much liquor re-
ported as Consumed" from June 80,
1912, to June 80, 1918, is now stored
in private warehouses waiting de-
mand Those who understand the
state of affairs have expected just
such showing as that now put out
by the internal revenue department.
They have expected, too, that 1t
would be generally interpreted as
meaning marked increase in drink
ing They know that while an un-
usual amount of liquor was with
drawn last year from the bonded
warehouses 1t by no means follows
that all of 1t went down the throats
of American citizens.
Second, there Is more or less Jug
Cling of official figures by liquorites.
Desiring Tin their effort to discredit
the so-called reform wave") to make
the per capita increase appear large,
they have a way Of punching togeth-
or the figures referring to all kinds
of liquors, distilled and malt. And
newspapers have a way of repeating
without Investigation this manifegtly
unjust estimate. For example, some
wet" authority states that the per
capita amount of liquor consumption
has risen In twenty years from Is
gallons to 81 gallons this, Of course
including all liquor on which tax has
been paid, and the misleading state
ment goes the rounds.
Third, in view of these facts 1t Is
clear that there are more total abb
stainers and more prohibitionists in
this country than ever before, and
granting for the sake Of argument the
increasing consumption--that drink
ers are drinking more than ever be-
fore. 1t is one of the characteristics
OF alcohol to increase the desire for
itself, SO we may expect the moderate
drinker Cor his children) to become
the excessive drinker and the exces-
sive drinker to become more excess
siye. II isn't from the number Of
gallons of liquor consumed that one
judges Of the nearness Of nationwide
prohibition, but from the rapidly
growing prohibition sentiment and
consequent number Of prohibition
votes throughout the country.
The liquor interests are trying des-
perately to hide the fact that theirs
is a losing cause In their journals
and in their conventions their utter
ances are doleful and warningful, and
In the stock market there is marked
shrinkage in the value of liquor Sc
curities. Pessimism In the liquor
camp, optimism among the prohibit
tionists-this, despite the internal
revenue report for 1913, is the situa
ton today.
VITAL QUESTION.