The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-26
With Increased Tax, Boost in
Materials and Stoppage of
Manufacture, Whisky Scars.
VETS BOUGHT HEAVILY,
NOW MUST PAY UP
Beer Also Has Upward Ten
dency, But It's Sales Prob
baby Will Be Enhanced by
Hinderance Affecting Booze

Delivers into ancient statistics and
readers of the columns of ante-civil-
bellum days are getting some satisfac-
ton or Observation-Disclosures on
comparing prices In
the good old days" with present day
quotations.
Among the commodities which have
risen in price. along with other things,
Is whiskey. One has but to turn to
the file copies OF newspapers pub
lished In the sos and 40's to see how
the whiskey price has gone steadily
forward. Back in those days whis-
key, which did not bear a government
tax, sold in taverns and groceries at
as low as Is and 30 cents gallon.
Imposition of government and state
taxes and other conditions have in
creased the price until, before the
present war. whiskey ranged at from
10 cents to Is cents a drink. said
drink being very small quantity.
Then came the European war. bring
.ns -~iisal ii ar Increased COST OF pro-
(itl tsson s.isss7 h nsAavfiy Increased reve-
nue.. All the whiskey now out of bond
bears a government tax of s1.10,
which was paid at the time OF with
drawal. and in addition war tax of
s2.I0, making a total government tax
OF $3.50.
AS an average, it may be stated,
possibly. that the initial cost of this
liquor has not been above 80 cents a
gallon. Added to this cost, of course.
is the expense of craftsmanship. over
head charges, etc. So that in the
hands OF the retailers it is safe to
assume that the whiskey stands. with
the added tax CT $40. at close to
$3.50 gallon, perhaps in some cases.
running even to SIS.
Supply Is Limited.
The supply is limited. During the
war, at least, manufacture of whiskey
is impossible. Importation lis prohib-
tied. During the summer and early
fall months whiskey was withdrawn
from bond in enormous lots. to es-
cape. il possible, the new tax. That
accounts for the heavy showing made
In the recent reports OF the internal
revenue department.
prohibition OF the manufacture and
importation of whiskey. of course the
dealers stocked up heavily. They did
not anticipate. however, what has
come to pass, that they would have
to pay the incrrased tax OF $2.10 a
gallon.
Instead, as further pointed out pre-
viously, these retailers, or most of
them at any rate, are facing an acute
financial problem. They raked to-
gether all the money they could get
and bought whiskey. They now find
that they must get together more
money, $40 a gallon, In fact, for all
the liquor in hand. Only fifty gall
Ions is exempt. II dealer has fifty
barrels in store. not an unusual
amount. he must raise the money to
pay the added tax on 400 gallons,
which amounts to ss40 To get this
money - not an easy task in most
cases.
What will be the result?
First OF all, the condition that has
been brought about Is this: There
has been a general rise in the market
value of all WHISTLES, an advance
ranging as high as sixty. cents quart.
In Cincinnati the price of wiiskey in
the open market is 81 60 a gallon
with rising tendency.
Adulterntion Practiccd.
Several things are inevitable. First,
there will be natural tendency to-
ward adulteration. and already a lot
OF saloon customers are complaining
of vile decoctions that are set before
them.
A rise In the retail price has come
Ten cent whiskey has gone to fifteen
cents. Whiskey that sold at fifteen
cents has gone to twenty cents. Then
both sorts ose again, until, except in
barrel houses and the very cheapest
Of saloons. It is difficult to buy drink
OF whiskey for less than twenty-five
cents. In some Of the finer and more
exclusive bars the price Is even high
err. Some dealers predict that ere
long drink OF whiskey will cost from
fifty cents to dollar, The New York
Wholesale Liquor Dealers association
at its recent meeting expressed the
opinion that whiskey soon would be
sold by the ounce and treating would
be abolished.
At the meeting of the Allegheny
County (Pittsburgy Retail Liquor
DealerS' Protective associatiOn. thu