The Washington herald., 1919-04-08

New York. April when thu
stockholder of a New York brew.
cry recently brought legal action
to compel the directors to continuA
the production Of beer containing
not more than as Of alcohol by
weight on the ground such bever-
age was not intoxicating . new
vision was given the sellers 'oi
liquor. New facts were blsxoued
forth in the public press.
1t was learned that Q man might
after July first, open Q hard cider
stand in Manhattan and dispense Il
without fear OF the law. Cider. II
1t Is hard, has as much Authority
as high proof gin
Another rather startling fact Il
that the United States government
has never attempted to define and
has never levied a tax upon in
toxicating liquors as such. The In
ternal Revenue taxes on distilled
liquors, which include whisky, gin
rum and the other most potent
drinks. date from 1852. OF course
these were intoxicating but the
law simply classed them as distill-
ed spirits and the tax was levied
not upon the bulk of the liquor
but upon the percentage of proof
spirits therein contained.
About the same time Internal
Revenue taxes were levied upon
beers, ales. porters and other prod
ucts of the brewer, at so much per
gallon. These were and are still
dAHnaH 70
great many years wines, which
contained much more alcohol than
beers. escaped Internal Revenue
taxation altogether, and cider
which is also more potent than
beer, is still exempt from this
form of .impost.
When the Internal Revenue Bu-
reau fixed 1-2 of l per cent of al
cohol as the point at which taxation
of fermented liquors should begin
1t did not in any way attempt Ia
settle what amount of alcohol in a
beverage would make the beverage
Intoxicating.
Thus it is that Broadway may
become a lane of hard cider en-
poriums. However, the general
opinion of New York newspapers
is that Broadway will be satisfied
II 1t gets its 2.75 per cent beer.
The Plaza grill has instituted an
evening dress rule as postwar
novelty of after theater life. Only
those in full evening regalia may
get by the silk cords OF the unctu-
Gus head waiter. Perhaps the
Plaza can get away with it. But
the old Cafe de rOpera died miser-
ably in its attempt. At first Il
sounded like a bit of exclusiveness
that would make a great hit. But
1t developed that the average New
Yorker in evening clothes wants to
show off before his seemingly less
prosperous neighbor. He doesn't
care to lust be one among a lot of
well dressed folk. The big fact
about the proposition is that IT is
dh-AmerIcan' or at least the man
IN a business suit who goes ont
with three in evening clothes and o
refused admission on account OF
MS clothes thinks 1t is. On the
other hand the Plaza grill has
been SO packed an jammed lately that
II may be the managements way OF
NiA''i44iiA5 Jul the CTOhUS.
Jplius Tannen. known over various
vaudeville circuits for his chatterbox
,nonologues. has quit the stage fiat.
lie has gone into the manufa curing
business and has an office in the For
Ties. He went into business because
ne IS sure of working fifty-two weeks
In a year. He says he would rather
take less for more work and remain
In New York than more for less work
and do the various circuits every lit
tie while. The Rialto does not believe
he will stick to trade. One artist said
to him: The grease paints gets you
and you never get over it" Tannen
replied snappily: THE grease paint
has never got me. have never used
it."
People often wonder how much a
pencil peddler makes along Broadway.
The question was answered the other
day in court. A man, arrested after
street brawl. said he sold pencils
on the highways. He showed a bank
book and his deposits were more than
800 every week. He did not touch
this sum for living expenses.