Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-02-19
HIGH TAXES SOUND
DEATH KNELL Of THE
OLD TIME &c BEER
AMBER FLUID WILL HOP INTO
oiMEA-GLASS CLASS. WHILE
BOURBON (FRENCR FOR BOOZE
WILL REACH QUARTER ALTf-
TUDE.

Add cut in city revenue. or tn
high cost of war"
A dozen or more saloons alroad.
down ana out by falling away patron
age and because of high taxes on dev
erages that puryey gloom and joy OF
a fftH-iifty basis Ottawa soon is I,
be confronted by shrunken Golfers. ac
eordlng to experts who claim that nor
more than dozen saloons viii sur
riye in the city under the new tariff.
when they become operative
Saioenmen themselves cad in The
prediction that before July I. or Feb
8. 1920. when death knels will BE
sounded on all intoxieants. dramshops
will begin dropping out Of existence
as fast as their Old stocks are used up.
This is not wholly traeeabIe, they
aver, 70 the revenue saloonmen must
pay, but to the death OF a-eent beer
and l5-eent whisky.
Whatever happens. it is a certainty
that no longer will saloons display the
well known sign Biggest Beer in
the City for Gents" That's a thing
OF the past-and al because the
kaiser thought he could corner the
world
New War Tax Is Cause.
Directly the increase in the price of
h9 mil ltr Il
bill, which is now reposing on the
Presidents desk in the White House
awaiting his arrival from his Euro
pean trip. The executive is due to
arrive at the capital within a week
and it is expected tina. he viii afflx
his John Hancock" to he measure
almost Immediately so that the pro-
visions thereof may become imme-
diately effective.
Under the new revenue law tho tax
On beer is increased So a barrel. max.
ing the total assessmen. So This
means that the wholesale price is
going up. Some of the Milwaukee
breweries are planning to boost their
price to SIS a barrel. while local beer
will probably wholesale at $lj a bar
res.
These are unheard Of prices in the
beer business; never before in history
have they mounted to such heights.
It's only few years back-1911 or
l912-.hat beer was selling wholesale
for S. a barrel. which will he the
amount Of the new tax At that time
The tax was 81 barrel.
What 1t Means to the Saloons.
With these new prices in effect it I
means thai every time one of the old.
ime j-cent glasses is drawn it will
cost the salOonkeeper cents, with
nut figuring in his profit 1t is easily
een, therefore. that the price must
20 up to ID cents At he present
ime an eigh.-ounce glass is served,
nut the size will be boosted to zen
1unces when the 10-cen, prices goes
nto effect.
There remains the possibility of
cent beer, but it viii be merely a
taste'-a fiye-ounce glass. A pint
,ottle Of beer viii fill three ive-ounce
lasses 50 it is readily seen that the
rink will not find much favor with
hose who enjoy glass of the brew
The salocnmen Of ottawa will prob
bly, reach some agreement as to size
II glasses, prices, etc, within a short
ime.
Whisky Going Up, Too.
The new revenue bill Is also going
0 send the prices OF whisky skyward.
lnder its terms the tax on corn juice
GREATER will be So 40 per gallon. and
his means that the wholesale price
ill be some where in the neighbor-
God OF So a gallon.
Brought down to a smaller basis, it
means that The tax on the regulation
wo-ounce shot will be 10 cents,