Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-10-31
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NO INCREASE IN DRINKING.

NO INCREASE IN DRINKING.
The internal revenue report fol
1913 has been widely commented upor
by the press. its figures being gener
ally accepted as proof OF an increase
In drinking. notable" alarming"
"shamelese," according to the poin,
of view of the commentator. We dc
not challenge the accuracy OF the re-
port. but we do maintain that the
press OF the country has given II toe
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. Tho National w. G. t
u. through It's bureau of publicity
sends out the following explanation:
First, with regard to distilled
liquors. II Is not so generally known
as 1t should be that the figures OF tho
government report are based on the
number of gallons withdrawn by
wholesalers from the bonded ware
ono year may or may not represent,
tho actual consumption for that year
II happens TINT for the year Just
closed tho amount withdrawn does
not represent actual consumption. To
tho average reader the situation Is
somewhat confusing. but It ia easily
azDlsifetA Under the law liquor may
remain In bond not -.,33s s!s,ae than eight
years. At the expiration OF that time
1t must be removed from tho govern.
ment warehouses whether there ia
demand for 1t or not. During the year
covered by the 1913 report large
amount was. II Ia stated. thrown upon
the market because the bonding pc.
Rod had expired. Tho fact that such
large quantity remained In bond un.
I'll forced out by the time limit ia
sufficient proof that the sale OF Bpir.
ituous liquors has been decreasing.
When tho liquor IL taken from the
bonded warehouses tho government
tax is paid. and 1t is then officially re-
corded as Consumed" The truth OF
the matter is that much liquor re.
ported rs consumed" from Juno 80,
1919. to June 80, 1918. Ia now stored
In private warehouses waiting dc.
mand Those who understand the
state OF affairs have expected Just
such n showing as that now put out
by tho internal revenue department.
They have expected. too. that It
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 It by no means follows
that all of It went down the throats
OF American citizens.
Second. there IL moro or less Jug.
Cling of official figures by liquorites
Desiring lin their effort to diacredit
the so-called reform wavc") to mako
tho per. capita Increase appear large,
they have way Of punching togeth.
er the figures referring to all kinds
OF liquors, distilled and malt. And
newspapers have way OF repeating
without investigation this manifestly
unjust estimate. For example, nome
wet" authority states that tho per
capita amount OF liquor consumption
has risen In twenty years from 10
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 Wow OF these facts Il Ia
clear that there are more total alb.
stainers and moro prohlbitionists ir
this country than ever before, and
N ttno for -
increasing consumption-that drink.
ers are drinking moro than ever be.
fore. 1t is one of tho characteristics
OF alcohol to Increase tho desire for
Itself, 30 we may expect the moderate
drinker Tor his children) to become
the excessive drinker and the exces.
sive drinker to become more exces-
sive IL len't from tho number OF
gallons Of liquor consumed that ono
Judges Of the nsarness Of nationwide
prohibition, but from tho 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
ia 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 prohibi-
tionists--this. despite the Internal
revenue report for 1913, is the situa,
ton today.