The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-12
Fabulous Prices Obtain
ed for F ast-Dwindling
Stocks Of Booze.
MAY LAST A YEAR
Beyond That, Hard"
Liquor Will Be Off
Market and Dis
tillers All Rich.

Reports from Louisville, Ky, seem
TO indicate that another pro brewery
argument will soon be eliminated.
When the manufacture of whiskey
was ordered discontinued by tho fed
eral government. some folks believed
that it would be unwise to stop the
manufacture of beer for fear of put
ting the country on a whiskey basis
The argument, advanced was that
there was enough whiskey in bond to
supply the country for at least two
years. 1t is not possible TO store beer
for any considerable period. and con-
sequently cessation OF manufacture of
peer would mean the end of its sale
and consumption.
These Louisville reports are TO the
erect that the withdrawal of wiaiskev
from bond has been more rapid than
anticipated, and if the present rate
continues there it not more than a
years supply on hand. or course,
withdrawal does not necessarily mean
consumption. but whskey has brought
such fabulous prices that those who
are now in possession Of IL must in
turn get their price and this must
come from the man who consumes the
SUN. In other words the man in
front of the bar will pay the price if
he gets il, and indications are that the
price viii be almost prohihit!ve to the
average man
Il is said that about twenty men In
Louisville alone have become wen.' nv
as result OF the advance or apnroA.-
mately $3.50 per gallon IN whfslcy
Tr.ces since September / Of la 1t wear.
owners and dealers who hare held
supplies have made money So fast that
trey hardly know what to do with it.
One Louisville company had 10000
barrels when prices began SOARING. II
they have retained II they now have
whiskey worth s3,525.000. Another
dealer is reported to have hal 80 900
barrels which, a the present prices,
would Weld him S5,S75,000 Still an
other had $4,000 barrels, now worth
1898 500. Five others are reported
to have holdings netting them $3.50
900 each, or a total profit of s1lT50.-
GOO. One dealer is stated to have
cleaned up S1.705000 alone Many
small dealers who held one TO two
thousand barrels have cleaned up ten
to twenty thousand dollars each The
indicated holdings OF men and firms
aggregate 100000 barrels of forty
seven gallons each. on which it is cur
rently reported they have realized
S35, ESQ. 600. Many are holding their
stock for even higher prices.
The rapid withdrawal from bond Is
iHHIcdteu IN the report OF the internal
revenue department. This report
shows that there was in bond on July
st. 1917. 1858, 900 gallons of whis-
key. or this total there was in Ken
lucky los, 321,723 gallons March /,
1918, there was in bond in the United
States us, 900 gallons. and in Ken
lucky at that time there was 9S,4s2-
coo gallons, thus showing a withdraw
al in the country during that period OF
1883, goo gallons, and decrease in
Kentucky OF 1o,s29,123 gallons. Dur
ing March there was taken from bond
more than 100000 gallons
Last September the price was fifty
10 sixty cents per gallon. Later in the
fall ii rose to 81. Now the price stands
at s3,05 per gallon. Those who fear
that the country will be put on IL
whiskey basis II the breweries are
closed ought to reckon with this high
price standing between the whiskey
drinker and his drink