Bisbee daily review., 1917-09-08
FACTURE OF DISTILLED SPIRITS ENDS
 THIS EVENINC
Action of Food Control Will Close Down the Plants in the Country Where Alcohol for Beverages Are Made.
(By Review Leased Wire. ,

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.-Manufac- ture of whiskey will cease throughout the nation al Il o'clock tonight when the prohibitive clause of the food con trol act becomes effective.
 Millions of Bushels.
 Millions of bushels of grain which food officials say would be otherwise ground for whiskey will thus be re- leased for food. How many millions, no one knows, for the manufacture of alcohol for beverage purposes is so closely blended with the production of alcohol for industrial and medicin- al purposes that there is no way of determining the exact amount.
 Alcohol and Whiskey.
 Of the 100000 bushels of grain or whereabouts, which go into the distil- leTies each year, about 40 per cent, experts estimate, comes out in the form of whiskey and other distilled beverages. The remainder, made into alcohol of exactly the same character istics as that used for whiskey. event. ually finds its way into perfumes, toilet waters. bay rum, medicines and into industries where alcohol is used in ever increasing quantities.
 For Medicinal Purposes.
 Approximately 116,O0O,OOO gallons of whiskey are produced each year by the American distilleries. Produc- tion of alcohol by the same distiller- ies for commercial and medicinal uses other than beverages approxi- mates 146.OOO.000 gallons. The manu facture of alcohol for the lotter pur- poses will continue as usual, probab ly in greater volume and few of the larger distilleries, if any, will have to shut down, according to govern ment authorities.
 Plants Effected.
 The class of distilleries which will be put out of business is composed almost wholly of small plants operat- ed by from one man to half a dozen men located in California, Ohio and New Jersey and producing brandy from grapes, apples and peaches. These produce approximately 2,000.- GOO gallons a year. Those in New Jersey and Ohio, officials belive will suspend operations entirely. The Cal ifornia plants, it is thought, will con tinue to operate in part, for the man. ufacture of spirits used in fortifying sweet wines.
 May Increase Revenue.
 Stopping whiskey manufacture in- stead of curtailing the governments revenues, will increase them for the next years. officials believe Coupled with the pending revenue bill, the of whiskey from bond will probably treble the revenues within the next 12 months. as the present law imposes a tax of s110 and the revenue bill contemplates a tax of s3.20 a gallon. A tax of approximate ! ly 230.000.000 gallons has accumulat- ed in the bonded warehouses and on the shelves of wholesale and retail liquor dealers. Approximately 19O.- 100000 gallons are in warehouses and upon that quantity the government will collect taxes upon alcohol for purposes. except alcohol for denaturization, the revenue bill | would impose a tax of S2.20, doub l ling the present income.
 Brandy Plants.
 There are approximately 700 dis tilleries in the country of which more | than one-half are small fruit brandy | plants. The amount of capital invest | ed in the latter class is not great in i the aggregate. The capital invest in the big producing plants mounts high into the millions. Officials here | believe that losses will be more than helped out by the prices distilleries will obtain for their output of alcohol | in other forms. |
 Commercial Alcohol.
 A tremendous growth in the use of | commercial alcohol is anticipated . which in time may result in the de- mand for a quantity of alcohol at . least as large as the present output . for all purposes.