Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-10-10

Ak5zaRgElU1rItg
S2GGE -
Conducted by the National Woman's
Christian Temperance Uniono
NO INCREASE in DRINKING.

4
NO INCREASE IN DRINKING.
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 given 1t too
hasty consideration and that the pub
lie has too readily accepted the con-
clusions of the newspapers. The hg-
ures given are true as far as they go,
but it is not the province Of the In
ternal revenue commission to explain
those figures The National w. Q. T.
u, through its bureau of publicity.
sends out the following explanation:
First, with regard to distilled
| LIQUORS, it is not SO generally known
rs 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number of gallons withdrawn by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.
It 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closed the amount withdrawn does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
meut warehouses whether there is
demand for it or not. During the year
covered by the 1913 report large
amount was, 1t is stated. thrown upon
the market because the bonding pc
Rod had expired. The fact that such
a large quantity remained In bond un-
til forced out by the time limit lie
sufficient proof that the sale of spir'
ituous liquors has been decreasing.
When the liquor is taken from the
bonded warehouses the government
tax is paid. and it is then officially re
corded as consumed" The truth OF
the matter is that much liquor re
ported as consumed" from June 80.
1913. to June 80. 1913. is now stored
In private warehouses waiting q do
mand. Those who understand the
state OF affairs have expected Just
such a showing as that now put out
by the internal revenue department
They have expected. too, that II
would be generally interpreted as
meaning a 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 1t went down the throats
of American citizens.
Second, there is more or less Jug
Cling of official figures by liquorites
Desiring lin their effort to discredit
the so-called reform wave") to make
the per capita increase appear large
they have a way of punching togeth
er the figures referring to all kinds
of liquors. distilled and malt And
newspapers have a way of repeating
without investigation this manifestly
unjust estimate. For example. some
wet" authority states that the per
capita amount of liquor consumption
has risen in twenty years from 15
gallons to 81 gallons (this. OF course
including all liquor on which tax has
Deen paul, anu tHe hiSleduiHS Stdtc
| Inent goes the rounds.
Third. in view of these facts It is
clear that there are more total alb
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 (or his children) to become
the excessive drinker and the exces-
sive drinker to become more excess
sive. 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 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