Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-10-15
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NO INCREASE IN DRINKING.


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NO INCREASE m DRINKING.
The internal revenue report for
1918 has been widely commented upon
by the press. lie figures being gener'
ally accepted a. proof OF an increase
In drinking. notable" alarming"
shameless" according 10 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 II too
hasty consideration. and that the pub
lio has too readily accepted the con
illusions OF the newspapers. The as.
ures given are true as far az they go,
but II is not the province Of the In
tsrnal revenue commission TO explain
those figures. The National W. G. 7.
o., through lts bureau Of publicity,
sends out the following explanation:
First. with regard to distilled
liquors. II Is not so generally known
a. II should be that the figures OF the
government report are based on the
number OF gallons withdrawn by
wholesalers nom the bonded ware
houses, and that the amount for any
one year may or may not represent
the actual consumption for that year.
Il 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closed the amount withdrawn does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 It IL easily
explained. Under the law liquor may
remain in bond not longer than eight
years. At the expiration Of that time
It must be- removed from the govern
ment warehouses whether there Is
demand for II or not During the year
covered by the 1918 report a 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 UNI
I'll 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 It 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 30, 1918, is now stored
in private warehouses waiting 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 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 it went down the Threats
of American citizens.
l. Second, there is more or less Jug
Cling of official figures by liQuorites
Desiring Gin their effort to discredi'
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 pei
capita amount Of liquor consumption
has risen in twenty years from II
gallons to Il gallons this, Of course
including all liquor on which tax hal
been paid, and the misleading state
ment goes the rounds.
Third, in view of these facts It Il
clear that there are more total alb
stainers and mors prohibitionlsts II
this country than ever before, and
granting for the sake of argument thu
increasing consumption-that drink
ers are drinking more than ever be
fore. 1t is one Of the characteristic
Of alcohol to increase the desire 70
itself, so we may expect the moderat,
drinker Cor his children) to becom
the excessive drinker and the exces
Bive. It Isn't from the number 0
gallons Of liquor consumed that on
Judges Of the nearness Of NATIONWIDE
prohibition, but from the rapid
growing prohibition sentiment an
consequent number Of prohibition
votes throughout the country.
The liquor interests are trying des
J perately to hide the fact that their
is a losing cause. In their journal
| and in their conventions their utter
ances are doleful and warningful, an
In the stock market there is marke
shrinkage in the value of liquor 81
curities. Pessimism In the HQuo
camp, optimism among the prohib
tionists-this, despite the interns
revenue report for 1918, is the stu;
ton today.