The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-09-13
JOHN BARLEY
CORN DONE FOR
WHISKY MANUFACTURING END
ED LAST SATURDAY NIGHT
AT IL O'CLOCK P. M.
Stopping Whisky Manufacture Will
Increase Governments Revenue
Officials Believe.

OIIlCtdie DGhCNc'
The telegraph under date of Sep
TENDER s reports that the manufac-
ture of whiskey ceased throughout
the nation on Saturday at i O'Clock
D. m. when the prohibition clause OF
the food control act became effec-
tive.
Millions of bushels of grain which
would otherwise be ground up. Tor
whisky will thus be released for food,
How many millions, no one knows,
for the manufacture OF alcohol Tor
beverage purposes is so closely blend
ed with production of alcohol for in
dustrial and medicinal purposes that
there is no way of determining the
exact amount.
Of the 1O0,O00,O00 bushels of
grain, or Whereabouts, which goes in
to the distilleries each year, about
40 per cent, experts estimate, comes
out in the form of whisky and other
distilled beverage drinks. The re-
mainder, made into alcohol Of exact
" the same characteristics as that
used for whisky, eventually finds its
way into perfumes, toilet waters, bay
rum, medicines and to Industries
where denatured alcohol is used IN
ever increasing quantities.
Approximately 116,000,000 gal
Ions of whisky is produced each year
by American distilleries. Production
Of alcohol by the same distilleries for
commercial and medicinal uses 9TH
err than beverages approximates 1885,
100000 gallons. The manufacture
of alcohol for the latter purposes will
continue as usual, probably in great
err volume, and a few OF the larger
distilleries, if any, will have to shut
down.
The class of distilleries which will
be put out of business is composed
almost wholly Of small plants opera
ted by from one man to half dozen
men. located in California, Ohio and
New Jersey, and producing brandy
from grapes, apples and peaches.
These produce approximately 2,O0O,-
900 gallons a year. Those in New
Jersey and Ohio, officials believe
will suspend operations entirely. Inc
California plants, it is thought, will
continue to operate, in part, for the
the manufacture of spirits for forti'
flying sweet wine.
So far as officials here can learn
there are few distilleries in the Uni
ted States, with the exception Of the
fruit brandy plants, producing WHISKY
at the present time. Summer is the
off season for whisky production
which is confined almost wholly tt
the winter months, the early spring
and the late fall. The cessation OF
active whisky production, therefore
at this season of the year, is largely
theoretical, but the operation OF the
law will prevent the manufacture OF
whisky at the time it usually starts
on a large scale, the latter part OF
September
Stopping Whisky manufacture, in
stead of curtailing the governments
revenues, will increase them for the
next two years, officials believe
coupled with the operation OF the
pending revenue bill, the withdrawal
of whisky from the stock already &C
cumulated will probably treble the
revenue with the next twelve months,
as the present law imposes tax OF
S1.1O and the revenue bill contem-
plates a tax of 1920 gallon. A
stock of approximately 230.oOO,OO
gallons has accumulated in the bond
ed warehouses and on the shelves OF
wholesale and retail liquor dealers.
Approximately 190,000,000 gallons
are in warehouses and upon that
quantity the government will collect
taxes as it is withdrawn.
Few men will be thrown out of
work by the operation of the law.
Distilleries now running will con-
tinue to produce alcohol for CONNER
cial purposes with little change in
their forces. Upon this class of al
cohol with the exception of alcohol
for denaturization, the revenue bill
would impose tax of 1920, doub-
ling the present income from this
source.
There are approximately 700 dis
tilleries in the country, of which more
than half are small fruit brandy
plants. The amount of capital in
vested in the latter class is not great
in the aggregate. The capital invest
ed in the big producing plants mounts
high into the millions. Officials here
believe that losses will be more than
wiped out by the greatly higher prices
distillers will obtain for their pro-
duct, already manufactured. In the
opinion Of some officials whisky will
be selling at SIS a gallon within
twelve months, affording distillers
enormous profits which will more
than compensate for the loss of capt.
tai invested in plants.
At the same time the plants will
continue to operate on an approx
mate go per cent production basis,
making commercial alcohol. A ire
mendous growth in the use Of CON-
mercial alcohol is anticipated which
in time may result in the demand for
a quantity of alcohol at least as
large as the present output for all