New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-09
John Barleycorn
Died Officially in
u. S. Last Night
Manufacture Of Gin and
Whiskey Stopped at
ii O'clock
Peoria's Glory Passes
City Has Long Been Centre OF
Rum Industry; Customs
to Seize Imports

Washington, Sept s.-The manuiact-
ure Of whiskey and gin ceased IN the
United States at II O'Clock tonight for
the duration Of the war. A. that hour
officers of the Internal Revenue bu-
reau saw that every distillcry IN the
country shut down in compliance with
the provisions of the food control law,
and customs officials we're ordered to
seize every bit Of liquor reaching the
United States from foreign lands,
From now on approximately 10000
600 bushels of grain will be diverted
from the distilleries to the bakeries
each year. The products that went to
make an annual whiskey output OF
about 100000 gallons will be used
for food.
Peoria, ILL.,, has ceased to be the
whiskey centre of the world, probably
for all time A statement was made
there tonight by Robert d. Clarke, one
of the recognized heads of the liquor
interests of the country, to the erect
that the plants there will not be re-
opened for the manufacture Of whiskey
as a beverage, regardless of the dura-
ton of the war, or Of the threatened
approach of national prohibition. The
manufacture of whiskey for profit, he
said, will have been made an impossi-
blity by the passage of the law, i'm
posing an additional tax of $3.50 a gal
Ion.
May Manufacture Alcohol
Distillers may continue the manu-
facture of alcohol for commercial pur-
poses, especially for the making OF mu-
nitions, and few have converted their
plants into yeast, vinegar and by-prod-
ucts factories.
There is no way of gauging the exact
amount of whiskey on hand, but esti-
mates place 1T at from two 70 three
years supply. officials estimated that
there are about l90,00O,000 gallons IN
bonded warehouses, while Peoria eX-
perts said this figure would have
reached 2ljO0O,000 by the time the law
the law dealers rave been boarding
their supplies for the last few months.
MANY salooakeepeIs have leased extra
quarters in which to store additional
supplies, some even filling the cellars
OF their homes. Liauor men placed the
nations supply at 325,OO0,OOO gallons.
At one Atlantic port agents worked
Ike Trojans all day getting ashore
cargo of $4,000 gallons Of Scotch wills
KEY that came on British steamer, IN
order that it might be cleared through
the Custom House by II o'clock.
Sees End of Saloons
/ The effect Of the law in Pennsylva-
mia, where many small distillerleS were
closed, cannot be accurately determined
/ now. although several thousand persons
will be thrown temporarily out of work.
( Edward T. Fleming, Philadelphia au-
+ thoritv. said il would be Improbable 70
turn the distileries into plants for the
manufacture Of alcohol, and predicted
that many saloons would be forced out
Of business
I Twenty-six out of twenty-seven dis
tilleries in the Maryland district, rep
resenting investments Of between SS,-
/ 900, 600 and s10,0O0,000, already had
/ shut down before the law went into
/ effect. This will not be loss, 1t was
stated,f because the distilleres already
have been converted into storage places
for III whiskey already made. The
MARYLAND district has consumed be
tween 2.5OO.0 and 10000 bushels
Of rye a year in the manufacture OF
l.926,34O gallons of whiskey and 2l,-
O42,842 gallons of alcohol.
The government permits the distll-
lery TO operate one week more only IN
cases where the beer" the liquid form
of corn, has not yet gone through the
process of dstillation, but only lew
plants have taken advantage Of this.
1--WE will close absolutely Mr..
Clarke is quoted in Peoria dispatches.
I'VE will maintain our plants in apple
pie order, prepared to supply any de-
mand from the United States govern
rnent or Allied nations for such alcohol
as is necessary for the manufacture OF
powder. We are through as beverage
producers.
Men Will Not Suffer
Between l,500 and 1000 men will be
put out Of employment in the distil-
ieries," another Peoria business man
is quoted. "but there will be place
1Or every one OF lutUl HOHldN HNiH
ing in the tractor factories, implement
works and other industries. We can
use every ounce of coal the distillerles
have been using and will be glad TO get
it. Peoria will never know the distil-
leries have been closed"
II is admitted there will he big
reduction in bank clearings in Peoria,
because of the stopping Of the internal
revenue collections, but this will tend
to strengthen financial conditions
locally, it is pointed out, by releasing
TO other Industries much money that
has been used on short-time paper by
the distilers.
For the fiscal year ended June 30
Peoria had manufactured 62,000,32S
gallons Of whiskey, gin, spirits, high
wine and alcohol, of which l0.4O6.S0i
gallons had been shipped TO the Allies.
The Great Western and Atlas distil-
leries there, known as the trust"
plants, will continue the manufacture
Of alcohol for the du Pont Powder
Corporation, in accordance with their
government contracts. The Globe and
n l.