The Washington herald., 1916-05-18
Luxuries in Greater Demand.

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue csti-
mates that there will be an increase Of 10000
900 gallons in the consumption OF distilled
spirits this fiscal year over the consumption
las year. The commissions in his last an
nuu report found that there had been. dc
crease OF nearly 100000 gallons OF spirits
withdrawn from the bonded warehouses, as
compared with the preceding year. He at
trhutCd that decrease, in large measure to the
prohibition laws enacted in many States Other
economists saw in the commissioners report the
beginning OF the end OF the liquor traffic and
the reign OF prohibition in this country SeveI
more States have passed under prohibition law
since last July, but instead OF further decrease
in the consumption OF liquors, there has been
an increase almost equal to the decrease then
recorded. II the conclusions OF last year are to
be followed this year. the new prohibition States
lave added to the consumption, and it must be
conceded that prohibition docs not prohibit
1t is possible that prohibition laws had little
part in either the decreased consumption
last year the increased consumption this
year. There was more important economic law
operating to produce both results The latter
part OF the year 1914 and the carly part of
1915 was a period OF slack business reduction
OF work and wages and there was a necessary
reduction in consumption of all food products,
particularly those looked Upon as luxures The
market basket had TO conform to the pocket
book, and economy had to be practiced all down
the line. But the allies began to purchase mu-
nltlons and food products in this country last
July, and there was an increased demand for
labor with large increases in work and wages
The export trade in the last ten months has
been the largest ever known. There has been
a boom in production of every character and
larger increases ir wages than ever before known
in a like period. The people have had moro
to spend than they had in the previous year
and they have spent their money as they
pleased, regardless Of the advice Of economists
prohibitory laws.
The increase in the consumption Of liquors in
the last ten months simply shows that it is not
safe to fix specific for particular changes
IN the sale or consumption Of any particular
product 1t is common practice OF mankind
to cut the garment according to the cloth and
that has been our teaching since the days OF
Ben Franklin. The prosperous cannot re-
sist the temptation to smoke good cigars when
he is prosperous, and he chccrfully goes back
to his pipe in the days of advcrsity A cock
tail or a highbal is not necessitv and can be
dispensed with when a is counting the
nckels in his pocket. Last year a good many
thousand men were counting nickels and it was
reported that several million men were without
remunerative work. There has been marked
change in conditions since last June, and quar-
tcrs are more plentiful now than were nickels
then. The quarters being spent, not only
for cocktails and highballs, but for candy, pink
ribbons, ice cream, the movies and other luxures
1t is not a development, but is in accord
with the old rule OF economies Every mans
expenditures vary with his income, and we should
have little development if it were otherwise Nov
ing picture shows are nov operating at grand
opera prices, where last year the "ten, twenty
and thirty" shows were looking in vain for
patrons. 1t is useless to try to regulate the
expenditures Of the people by any other rule
This is Tree country, and in nothing is this
freedom so much exercised as in spending ones