The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-11-11
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z&gEfS;A5c,.4TlE5EyD11IES &E;5,.TlE 81
~ 49,
(Conducted by the National Womaps
Conducted by the National Womapa
Christian Temperance Union.)
NO INCREASE IN DRINKING.

NO INCREASE IN DRINKING.
The internal revenue report for
1913 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 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, 1t is not SO 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number of gallons withdrawn by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closed the amount withdrawn does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 confustAg, 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 1913 report a large
amount was, it Is stated, thrown upon
the market because the bonding Pc
riod had expired. The fact that such
large quantity remained In bond un-
til forced out by the time limit is
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 1t Is then officially re-
corded as Consumed" The truth of
the matter is that much liquor re-
ported as consumed" from June 30,
1912, to June 80, 1918, is now stored
J in private warehouses waiting a de-
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 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 it by no means follows
that all Of it 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-oalled 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
been paid, and the misleading state
ment goes the rounds.
Third in view of these facts it ia
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 fol
itself. so we may expect the moderate
drinker (or his children) to become
the excessive drinker and the exces
sive drinker to become more exces
sive. II Isn't from tho number ot
gallons Of liquor consumed that one
Judges of the nearness Of nationwide
prohibition, but from the rapidly
growing prohibition sentiment ar.
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, ant
in the stock market there Is marked
shrinkage In the value Of liquor Sc
curities- Pessimism in the hquol
camp, optimism among the prohibi
tionists-this, despite the interna
revenue report for 1913 ia the situa