Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-01-16
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'condSstsd by the National Woman,
NO INCREASE IN pRINkINa.

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The internal revenue report 70,
1918 has boon widely commented upon
by the press. its figures being gener
ally accepted as proof OF an incroass
In drinking, notable" Alarming, /"
shameless" according to the poin,
OF view of tho commentator. We do
not challenge the accuracy of the re-
port, but We do maintain that tho
press OF the country has given II too
hasty consideration. and that tho pub
lilo has too readily accepted the con,
clusions of the newspapers. Tho fle
ures given are true ne far as they 90
out 1t Is not the province OF the In,
ternai revenue commission to explain
those figures. The National w. @. r.
u. through it's bureau OF publicity,
sends out the following explanation;
First. with regard to distilled
liquors. 1t Ia not so generally known
ms Ii should BIO that the figures OF tho
government report are based on tho
number OF gallons withdrawn by
Wholesalers from the bonded ware.
houses. and that the amount for any
one year may or may not represent
tho actual consumption for that year.
II happens that for the year Just
closed the amount withdrawn does
not represent actual consumption. To
tho average reader the situation ia
somewhat confusing, but Il Ia easily
explained. Under tho law liquor may
remain In bond not longer than eisht
years. At tho expiration OF that time
IL must be removed from the govern.
ment warehouses whether there Ia
demand for II or not. During the year
covered by tho 1913 report large
amount WAS, II Ia stated, thrown upon
the market because tho bonding pc.
rlod had expired. The fact that such
large quantity remained in bond un.
I'll forced out by tho timo limit Ia
sufficient proof that the snlo OF spir.
ituous liquors has been Decreasing.
When the liquor IL taken from the
bonded warehouses tho government
tax Is paid, and 1t Ia then officially re-
corded as consumed" Tho truth of
the matter is that much liquor re
ported ns consumed" from Juno 30,
l912. to June 30. 1913, ia now stored
In private warehouses waiting n de
mand. Those who understand tho
state of affairs have expected lust
such showing as that now put out
by tho Internal revenue department.
They have expected. too, that II
would be generally interpreted as
meaning marked Increase In drink
Ing" They know that whilo m un
usual amount OF liquor was With
drawn Inst year from tho bonded
warehouses It by no means follows
that all OF II went down tho throats
of American citizens.
Second, there 10 moro or less lug
Cling of official figures by lIquorites.
Desiring I'm their effort to dlscredit
tho so-called reform wave") to make
tho per capita Increase appear largo,
they have way OF punching togeth.
er the figures referring to all kinds
OF liquors, distilled and malt. And
newspapers have n 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 view OF these facts II is
clear that thoro are more total alb.
stainers and more prohlbitionists ir
this country than ever before. and
granting for the sake OF argument the
Increasing consumption-that drink,
ers are drinking more than ever BIO.
fore. 1t is one of the characteristics
OF alcohol to Increase the desire for
Itself. so we may expect the moderate
drinker Tor his children) to become
the excessive drinker and the exces.
alive drinker to become moro exces.
sive. II Isn't from tho number OF
gallons Of liquor consumed that ono
Judges of tho noarness Of nationwide
prohibition, but from tho rapidly
growing prohibition sentiment and
consequent number Of prohibition
votes throughout tho country.
The liquor interests are trying dos.
perately to hide tho fact that theirs
Is a losing cause. In thoir 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 So.
curities. Pessimism In tho liuuor
camp. optimism among the prohibi.
tfonists-this, despite the internal
revenue report for 1913. is tho situa-
ton today.