Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-09-13
MAKING. WHISKY
STOPS TONIGHT
After II O'Clock No Liquor. for
Beverage Purposes Will Be
Distilled Until Close
of War.

making in the United States ends
legally at IL O'clock tonight. But
whisky drinking does not end. There
were 2S2,4 04,S $50 gallons of it stored in
warehouses at the last report, not to
mention supplies in saloons, whole
sale liquor stores and with licensed
liquor dealers. This supply will last
several years.
While the food control law under
which John Barleycorn is knocked out,
is effective only for the duration of
the war, prohibitionists declare whisky
making never will be known again in
this country. They are confident that
with the experience gained from the
present war experiment, nation wide
prohibition will soon be adopted by fed
eral constitutional amendment.
John made a hard fight in congress
before the knockout was administered
in section Is of the food control law.
Herbert Hoover counted John out in
order to save about 40, 000, 900 bushels of
foodstuffs to fight the war.
What will happen to whisky distil-
leries is problematical. Some have al
ready they will go out OF
business. others plan to continue max
ing alcohol for industrial purposes.
Many may enter other lines--even max
ing matted milk.
Can't BE Made to Drink.
The law prohibits the making of dis
titled spirits for beverage purposes.
Straight alcohol and denatured alcohol
may continue to be manufactured.
There are about 100 plants equipped for
making alcohol in this country. Only
about 600, however, actually have been
making whisky.
He did not give John Barleycorn a
single moments grace. While 80 days
from date of approval Of h law Au-
gust 10-would be tomorrow, Sunday,
Hoover fiNed the hour of Johns demise
at II p. m. tonight because the internal
revenue laws prevent the operation OF
distilleries between IL Saturday night
and the following Monday morning.
Two other dry" provisions in the
food bill have not yet been acted upon
by Hoover. One gives the president the
right to commander any or all dis
titled spirits if necessary for redistilla-
ton and use in munitions making OF
other military purposes. The other en-
powers the president to limit, regulate
or prohibit the use of foodstuffs tt
make beer.
To Seize Imports.
Customs officials throughout the
country after tonight will seize all i'm
~ III SDlilldcoo Ilo ~
ing the United States. Officers Of the
internal revenue bureau throughout the
country will see that distilleries make
no more whisky.
DiStillers may continue manufactur-
ing alcohol for commercial purposes
and nan of them have arranged fol
this work, others turning their distil-
leries into manufacturing plants fol
yeast, vinegar and ~hyproducts.
-
PEORiA'S GLORY DIMMED.
Peoria. H.. Sept. o-At IL O'Clock to-
night Peoria viii cease to be the whisky
making center of the world. Thou
sands Of gallons Of liquor will remain
lin warehouses here. but the manufac-
ture of beverages ends today under the
national food law. at the direction OF
Food Director Herbert G. Hoover. Thf
government permits the distillery one
wcek in which to allow the beer
which is the liquid product of corn t.
go through a weeks process of distil.
lation. AT the end of that time nj
more whisky or gin will De produced
from the five big distilleries which have
been furnishing o%ne-third of the n a
tons supply for many years.
Clarke Brothers & Co. the Woolne1
distillery and the Corning distillery will
close their plants next Saturday ant
about 80 per cent of their hundreds o.
employees will be laid off.
The Great Western and Atlas distil-
%ieries, so called trust" plants" WI
continue to run full blast. manufactur
ing alcohol and spirits for export pur-
poses and manufacture or powder. The
Great Western will keep up a capacit.
of 5000 bushels of corn a day. and tht
Atlas will not at present cut it's ca
pacity Of 10000 a day, it vas announced
this morning. Both plants may reduc,
later, but managers assert they will no
be compelled to close.
} Millions Of Gallons Distilled.
Clarke Bros. & Co, has offered thei
plant for sale and intend to close per
manently. They have been the larges
straight whisky distillers In the Worlf
Woolner's & Corning's MAJ reopen at
ter the war.
Revenue office figures here show TIL
total output of the five distilleries her
in whisky, gin, spirits, high wines an,
alcohol for the fiscal year ending Jun
, 80, 1917, to have been G2.000,32S gal
!, Ions. Records sllow that U-boats hav
failed to stop Shipments from Peori
dfstilleries to the allies.
During the fiscal year ending Jun
80. 1917, revenue records show 10,406,
J 500 gallons were shipped to the allies
presumably for powder manufacture
! The law requires q certificate landinl
: to be returned from foreign port name
as designation Of each shipment. Ger
s~tificates on file show no losses dsirinl
the PAST year.