The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-10

The complete report nt the conmls-
sioner Of internal revenue for the
year ending June 30. 1915, is out. It
shows decrease in the production
OF distilled spirits during the year Of
ti.263,4S9 gallons. The consumption
of distilled liquors. however. f. bet
ter indicated by the Withdrawals.
which showed II decrease of l4.77i,-
1915 gallons The EVIL days" fell
upon and crushed los distilleries.
The decrease in the production of
fermented liquor beer, etc.) amount
ed to e,3S1,256 barrels, and forty
one hrcweries went down beneath the
destructive splayfoot of the onrush-
ing camel.
There are many indlca lions that the
present commissioner Of internal reve-
nue. is an honest man, fearing nc'tSH'
"drys" nor vets" He says: ''The
decrease here noted occurred princi-
pallv in beverage spirits whlskey.s
rum and Efn--anJi the falting on in
this class OF spirits Is doubtless at
tributahe in a large measure 10 the
prohibition laws enacted in many Of
the states" Again he says: "A grad
ual decrease in annual receipts from
this source, in consequence of the
state prohibition laws. may. | think.
be safely predicted"
The Dollars That Crossed the bar.
The total retail drink bin OF the
American people fer 1915 may be
roughly figured as s2552.3S5, SsT. -
This total may be reduced at pleas-
ure in the name of conservatism, but
when all is said IL is probably Not
excessive The bin may be itemized
as follows
Domestic distilled spirits AT an ave-
rage price of 1925 to the consumer,
. gc IL hpPr
cents to the half-pint glass, $1,53i,-
090,176; domestic spirits added in
rectification, imported spirits, import
ed beer, domestic and imported wines
testimated), 61,s31,1s0. Total. $2,-
552.3S5,S9725.
The price allowed on whiskey and
beer cannot be challenged II 1t is
said that many glasses of beer con-
tain more than halfpint. it may be
answered that millions of glasses are.
small" beers and hundreds of thou
sands of bottles are sold at excessive
prices in disreputable resorts and
similar places. Few pint bottles OF
the "higher class beers retail for
less than Is cents, whereas we are
only allowing 0 cents to the pint.
II is-.possible that the miscellaneous
Items should not he given quite so
high figure. but it must be rememA
Ftltu that Dpl lSu iIIuCtS tpHlItldHo
fancy prices.
The cheering feature OF the liquor
bill for 1915 is the fact that the Amer
lean people saved about $250,000,0a0
by reducing their liquor consumption
during the year. Without doubt, the
diversion OF this expenditure to legiti-
mate channels of trade had something
to do with strengthening the business
of the country during the crucial Pc
Rod which followed the outbreak OF
war in Europe.
production of denatured alcohol Tor
industrial and similar purposes In
creased by $500, sos gallons.
Great - rcanis of Illicit Whisky.
Undoubtedly the liquor interests
will harp loudly upon the fact That
L2l9 Illicit stills were seized ana
destroyed" in States having Statewide
prohibition laws while only az latlnh-
stills we're seized and destroyed III
license States They will, however.
fail Ia call attention TO the fact that
of the total quantity of spirits reported
for seizure only i.5S2 gallons were
found In prohibition States and Sos,-
926 gallons in license States, They
will also fall to say that the LIS
Illicit stills seized and DESTROYED IN
prohibition States were almost all To-
Gated In four States having mountain
territory. Not in twenty years mas
an Illicit still been seized and destroy
cd in Kansas, Maine or North Dakota,
and not one slrch still was seized and
destroyed in Okla homa during the
year for which the report Is madaa
The fact is that the production of
Illicit Whiskev in such prohibition
States az West Virginia, Tennessee and
Georsia IN considered by the noun
taineeNS a sport and II Is y sport Of
which they were just as fond before
these States enacted prohibition laws.
The production Of d small quantity OF
Whiskey gives an excuse for an excit-