Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-07
MAKING
in CITY STOPS
TOMORROW EVE
Distilleries to Cease Manu-
facture Under Federal
Mandate
snip" 80 CENTS, MAYBE
That Will Be the Cost if Re-
tailers Keep Pace With
Wholesale Prices


distilleries today as the hour for cessation
of the Industry draws near Manufacture
of Distilled beverages from grains Will end
by Federal mandate Saturday night at III
O'Clock, when the prohibition against
whisky making becomes law.
This nationwide legislation, coupled with
the proposed S3.2O-a-gallon tax, may triple
or .auadruple the price OF whisky accord
ing to Philadelphia distllers. II may come
to pass. they said. that the drlnker VIII pay
sixty or eighty cents for his nip should
the retail price of case goods correspond
with the wholesale price.
The supply on hand, made plethoric by n
tremendously increased emergency output
within the last three months, Will last abuut
three years. IT was estimated today rms
figure represents the consensus OF opinion
among distllers whose exact stocks are De-
ing compiled by Government gaugers under
Internal Revenue Collector Lederer
MANY To LOSE EMPLOYMENT
Just what will happen when the mpor-
tant whisky.maling industry OF Philadel-
mia and its environs Is halted suddenly Is
problematical. Regulations covering the op'
Grafton of the law as regards the manutac-
ture of alcohol for Industrial purposes are
being awaited from Washington at the FED
eral Building
At any rate, hundreds of men will be
thrown out of work and the big plants VIII
cease operation. Proprietors or distilleries'
accepting philosophicaly what the future
holds, will close the producing divisions OF
their plants. They will sell their stocks
They will wait for the end Of the war.
The Government win not exercise Its
prerogative OF seizlng the stores or whisky
for the alcohol content, according to the
general opinion, because Of the expense IN
volved in denaturing the liquid Neither
will the beverage distillers convert their
plants into industrial alcohol factories that
ftnt naN
tileries will be idle.
DISTILLER SEES INCONVENIENCE
"The effects in Pennsylvania cannot be
absolutely determined" said Edward 7.
Fleming secretary OF the Pennsylvania Dis
tillers and Wholesalers Association. But
the following facts are perhaps accurate;
while Pennsylvania distiliers We're the
first to propose to close their dlstlleries
during the war to conserve the grain sup
ply. they nevertheless feel that the law
will work a great inconvenience and some
hardship in its drastic compulsions.
'The result of closing distilleries shuts
the doors on several thousand employees
and throws them out of work II will re-
suit in a very large depreciation in value
of distllery properties. Most distilleries
are built in isolated or country sections
and therefore are not easily turned to
manufacturing or other Industrial uses.
"The result to the consuming public viii
simply be n great inconveniece and ar
advanced cost for its whisky. II does not
necessarily deprive the consumer of whisky
as there Is a sufficient stock In bond tc
last about two years But the enormous
high war tax placed on whisky by the rev.
enue measure now pending may make the
selling price so high that II will eliminate
any great profit to the distillers. Taxed al
1920 per gallon with the added hXed
charges for storage, insurance, carriage, sell
ing expense and management, VIII put the
cost of whisky to about SIS per gallon There
is little doubt among the distllers that the
high tax will prevent any abnormal profits
In its sale.
"The contention on the part of some tina
whisky distilleries could be turned into dis
tilleries for manufacturing commercial al
cohol is impractical. Alcohol distillerie
consume an average of $1,000 bushels o
grain daily in the manufacture of alcohol
while whisky distileries consume an av
erage of only 500 bushels of grain per da!
when running. Alcohol distilleries run al
the year around: whisky dlstilleries rur
about three to four months in the sprinl
and two to three months in the winter, Of
an average of six months per year
THE construction of alcohol distillerie
is vastly different from that of whisky
distilleries. The cost of changing a whisl,
distillery in order to manufacture CONNER
cial alcohol is so great that 1t would b'
Improbable. The competition of a small
distillery manufacturing less than 200t
gallons of alcohol per day with an alcoho
distillery manufacturing $4,000 gallons pc
day is SO great than no whisky distillery
can be changed into an alcohol distiler!
and manufacture alcohol without loss.
'Distillers generally throughout the Stat
have bowed with a spirit of willingness I,
the mandates of the Government in the Law
preventing the further use of grains in dis
irit hpynragp
purpose to cheerfully obey that law, bu
they firmly believe that It will result in
great many Illicit distilleries"
HIGH PRICES INEVITABLE
I'VE estimate that there is three or fou
years supply on hand" said f. A. Johnson
Office manager of j. A Dougherty's Sons
1885 North Front street. The June an,
July output became tremendous when tn,
distiler realized what was coming, but witt
the end of the manufacture in sight, tn
production has fallen Off until it is abou
normal again.
High prices may be looked for. whisk
selling now for $l.25 will be as high as SO
fully believe The suggestion that tn
Government will seize the stocks and un
dertake to obtain the alcohol Is not soun,
when II is considered that such a process
would cost the Government about four time
as much as the present price of alcohol"
Prediction that the anti-whisky law woul
result in a temporarily sluggish whisk
market was made by an official of tn
Stewart Distilling Company. 254 Sout
Third street.
I'VE look for dull times for seven o.
eight months" he said. THE effect Of tn
stoppage OF the manufacture in itself vii
not be high prices. but the extra tax Ger
tainly would result In increases correspond
Ing to the amount OF the tax. There is NJ
Indication that distillers not alread,
equipped with apparatus for making alco
hoi for industrial purposes will go into tina
business. Different equipment Is necessar.
for that and besides. transportation make
II too costly to manufacture alcohol in th
East"
IN Two and a half to three years suppl,
was the estimate made at the Offices of th'
Angelo Myers Distillery. Inc. s1i-la Nortl
Third street.
I'VE wish we knew what the price vii
be-" an Official said. The distiller face.
dubious outlook The man without a dis
tiliery is In y better position today than tn,
man with distllery. The law means tina
the plants will be useless The buildings
Disabling apparatus boilers and storag,
wnrehouses will depreciate in value. espe
o|nliy whsrc they are situated far from
& 1o~ne- Most Of them are In Isolated places
49, ~ x,1Is