New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-07
Retail Dealers Head Says
laws VIII Force This Num-
ber Out of Business
Demon Rum Goes
To Untimely Death
Meets His End Three Days
Before Hour Set for
His Demise

= The proudest, most cordially hated,
-.,, stsrchly defended spirit of all
..-,ono'oCy-Johu Bsrleycorn, Demon
prm-we7t prcmsturcly TO his death
yesterday.
S.ysnty.two hours ahead of schedule
ANA the moment to which Americans
,,vs been looking forward with min
Jed emotions ever since the "drys'
-, their big fight in Congress eight
weeks ago.
One effect Of the demons death will
4, seen in New York on October 1,
NJ, the whole credit system Of the
rouo, trade gone to smash under the
,l,s,, Of the new Federal tax, the
cate demanding a bigger bit than
,vsr out Of profits and the stills shut
lawn. between 80 and 40 per cent of
,ss eity's 5000 saloons are expected to
,',ss their doors as their licenses ex-
prs. /
This Is no rosy prcgnostieation Of
.ss Arti-Ssloon League, but the ad-
..i.,io7 Of William McClenahan, presi-
dent Of the New York Retail Liquor
Dealers Association.
Mourners Disappointed
The passing Of the demon, set for
# o'clock tomorrow night, was to have
leen the occasion OF a great and
rcurnful torsgathering Of the Brother
hood Of the Brass Rail, which his in
yrstiOn had served largely TO hold !
,crsther. But at the end, fault of d |
understanding, he was alone.
Officially the demon lives on through |
t-norrow. Actually his soul fed soon
Lisr the dawn of September 6, when
the last wartime msshes--perhRps the |
last American mashes for all time
began TO ferment in diStilleTies !
throughout the nation.
The law had specified only the time !
At which the distillers must cease |
operation But as the distillers' law
yer construed il, the effect was that !
fermentation of all mashes intended as |
The base Of beverage liquors must be |
accomplished by that time.
Since the processes of fermentation |
require a. least seventy-two hours, yes !
tsrdays mashes were final. The grains !
hat went into them were all that are !
70 be diverted from practical use for I
fir0e 10 pppnn I
Ghost to Haunt Us
Grief over the demise of the genial I!
Demon may be somewhat assuaged- |
md joy may be somewhat tempered !
y the assurance that for no less than !
hree years a spoke of him will con- T,
onue to haunt the country. With the f,
spirits distilled out of the last mashes. |
was announced last night by Arthur |
l. Strasser, counsel for the wholesale !
liquor interests of New York State, |
nat there will be in bond 225 100000 !
gallons Of rye and bourbon WHISTLES in /
ne warehouses Of the United States. I
Beyond that there is to be counted !
aoout lQ0,0OO,O0O gallons of free .
fnlskey, I'm the cellars OF the saloons /
th0 hotels and clubs. and in the store !
rooms Of the wholesalers. This supply /
. /. likely 20 last pretty well through /
NV for the average consumption is |
9e'Ween lOOO0O,Go0 and 10000, 900 gal /
Ths year. Estimates contained in !
,'@nlngtOn dispatches of yesterday !
rag indicated that the supply would not /
ol'iast 1919, but Mr.. Strasser's figures
asi. P''' 'S accurate anu o'i
Mention or a hundred million gallons
y. Zee whIsgey, slasi and from the
v.her viewpoint, hOoray, must not be
,sAeh 10 mean that the dying Demon in
.s ~ iast viii and testament left to his
od trends, without consideration, the
Materials for a three years wake. The
tIee sIgnlhed only that il is liquor
"EiSn has been taken from bond.
"hiskey headaches within the next
~" weeks are destined to become a
.-1gry 70 be purchased only by the
Tuent. 10 is predicted by those who
A-oN what the saloonkeeper must get
.-' OF ms stock TO continue in business
e.st the cheapest third rail" will be
y cents the drink. That, naturally.
means The end Of the Bowery barrel
rrouseS; and officials Of the Liquor
nssier'' Association say they will be
s'So 70 see them 20.
tof case goods 25 or 20 cents a drink
I9st be collected if the seller is 20 do
o'e'er than break even. A narrow
Margin over the cost of bar whisky, il
ssms until II is explained that the
.Jel governing factor in the necessary
sss,snces Is the new Federal tax OF
yIIy gallon. This applies 10 all
,n"eysS, regardless OF quality and
WV OF manufacture.
Gin Scarcer Than Whiskey
Gin makes tremendous jump up
ssfo' too. II will be scarcer than
.uSey from the first, and will have
i.ssppeared altogether from the back
80. nH by the early spring of 1918 unless
stTIle ~ taste turns to a substitute. There
~ os on hand after the last distilla-
,HlOn about 100000 gallons Of gin, and
Ss normal consumption in the United
year.
speculation in gin has already
s,Vugnt up the price of rickeys and
,seS 10 70 cents in bars that pride
Tnse!yes on serving "the real stuff.
" hlrty-hve and forty-cent rickeys
~ loreseen when the $40 excess tax
sPpiled. And they used TO be, just
couple Of months ago, two for a
Hew York saloonkeepers are close 70
llpsn,c as they peer into the future
/, i,'saoy they have noted a falling OF
!, usde in proportion TO the advance
Prces over the bar, and they have
.s.o reason for believing that the pres
H. schedule is all the traffic will bear.
=, ,h'tle, highly profitable groups when