The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-03-31
LIQUOR WILL BE LEFT
 AFTER JULY lST

WASHINGTON, March 15.--Nation al prohibition next July will find only about 50,OO0.O00 gallons of li quor in bonded warehouses. barred
 from disposition for beverage pur
 poses. if the present demand fol :, whiskey continues during the inter vening months. Officials who have observed the effect of high taxes in the past believe, however, that with. drawals from bond will decrease un. der the new revenue law, and that between 60.000.000 and 75,000.OOO gallons will be left in warehouses July 1.
 It Is conceded that 1t is impos- sible to foresee the effect of ap- preaching prohibition on the demand for liquor to be stored by consumers, and officials say big movement of buying even under the increased tax, may develop and leave the quantity of liquor left in bond smaller than the advance estimates.
 The estimates do not take into consideration. liquor which may be stored in cellars or attics of pros. pective consumers. Nor do they in- clude any stocks which wholesale or retail dealers may not sell before be prohibition wave catches them. These are not measurable by any official reports.
 Revenue bureau officials calculate that at present bonded warehouses connected with distilleries, but under lock and key of government agents, hold less than 90,O0O,OOO of the 2OO,- 0O0,000 gallons in stock when manu facture ceased September g. 1917, under the food conserva tiOn act. Withdrawals in January and Febru- ayy have been less than the 10.000,- 900 or more gallons in December. ac- cording to indications based on pre- liminary reports from revenue agents.
 On January first 112,000.OOO gallons of distilled spirits were reported in bond. including 6,O00.O00 gallons not available for beverage purposes. About Is percent of those figures must be deducted as allowance for leakage and evaporation from bar rels. On December 1, the latest date for which itemized figures are avail able, the stock of distilled spirits in bond was distributed as follows: Whiskey, 10S.S46.O00 gallons; rum, 6O6.OOO; gin 2.33S,O0O; alcohol, B. 76O.OOO; refined alcohol or high wines," 3,744,0OO; and brandy, g. 316,0O0.
 The normal rate of demand, meas ured by withdrawal from bond. had been between 4,5O0,O00 and 6,000,000 gallons a month until last October. when withdrawals jumped to 8.35S,- 900. In November they were g. 597, ,O00, and in December 1t is es- timated they ran over 1O.OOO.00O gal Ions. while in January and February indications are that the demand probably was nearer 9.00O,000 gal Ions. Most of this liquor was taxed when taken out of the bonded ware house at the rate of $3.20 gallon. Under the new revenue act, the rate is doubled, amounting to $6.40. Con- seQuently the increase amounts to $3.20 a gallon or 30 cents a quart, and the aggregate tax per quart is $1.60.
 By terms of the pending bill pro- viding for enforcement of prohibi- tion under the constitutional amend ment effective next January 16. the President would. be empowered to ap- propriate for government purposes the stock of liquor left unused in warehouses. The price to be paid for this would. be determined by agreement by special commis- sion.