New-York tribune., 1921-01-30
Big Liquor Tax
Makes Holland
Bit Less Wet
Gin, Beer and Wine Now
So Costly That Total Alb.
stainers Are Hopeful
Country Will Become Dry
Ancient Customs Passing
Dutch Fearful They Will
Be Unable to Bear Ex-
pense of Full Cellars
From, Special Corresponds.

AMSTERDAM, Jan. 22.--New excise
duties have been approved by both
Chambers Of the Dutch Parliament.
Dutchmen who are members of the
teetotalers' association and who have
raised always the cry "Close Schiedam!"
hope that the new law will help to
make Holland dry.
Undoubtedly they will have reason
enough to be glad, for the prices of
alcoholic drinks within a few weeks
will be so high that many people in
Holland who. without abusing spirits,
have been in the habit of drinking
their glass of gin, with or without
bitters, before dinner, perhaps q ass
OF claret with their principal mea and
later in the evening beer or hot brandy
and water, will have to give up these
| habits.
The day when Schiedam-the gin
called Schiedar1-was the curse of the
TOR many years preached total absti-
nence and tried to promote local option
nave been successful. Associations and
unions to promote their ideas flourish
all over the country. The total alb
stalners are to be found with the So
cialist, the ant-revolutionary, the
strong Calvinist and the Roman Catho-
lie parties, and they are all doing their
best to prohibit spirits.
drinks also has been improved Some
years ago the law made a difference
between the publican who obtained a
"nergunning' and the one who had a
"nerlof." The former had full license
Tor the sale Of alcoholic liquors, while
the latter had permission to sell only
oeer,. wines and spirits containing q
certain percentage of alcohol.
Law Satisfies Dutch
The Dutchman is satisfied with this
kind of legislation, though the for
elgner, no doubt, will not understand
"hy one is free to drink to excess beer,
sherry and wines in a certain place
and not gin. In station waiting room.
sherry. or port, but not gin or whisky.
Dutchmen, however. say this is rea-
sonab'e because beer and sherry can
not be called alcoholic drinksi
1t is fact that during the last few
years the use of intoxicants has de-
creased, especially in the middle classes.
Some years ago the average Dutchman
could not do without his gin and bit
ters before dinner. Friends meeting in
VIZ dAeSA uoOIl tIEdlcO CaCn OCHer with
vine or bitters, the women enjoying
their sherry or port, too, and on fes-
tive occasions they had "advocaat," a
mixture of eggs and "brandeivys" with
the whipped white of an egg on top. and
the same in the evenings. These DAYS.
h wever, have passed or are passing
not because the Dutch are strongly in
fuenced by the preaching of abstinence
but because. since the outbreak of the
war, excise duties have become so high
that the average citizen, already bur
cannot afford to have his cellar stocked
with all sorts of wines as In the old
days.
Afternoon Tea a Custom
Resides, the English custom Of after
noon tea has become a Dutch custom,
too, Lunchrooms, more or less luxuri-
Gus, have added tearooms. and in al
most every household afternoon tea is
served. Curiously enough the Dutch
habit Of taking tea after dinner never
has been abolished, and no Dutchman,
or Dutchwoman, would do without his
or her "kopje thee" (small cup of tea)
after dinner
All this. however, does not mean that
the Dutchman no longer drinks beer
and brandy. One will still find the
cafes filled IN the afternoon between
and 6 or 6:30 with men enjoying
their "barrel" and again in the evenings
The inns, or pubs" frequented by the
working classes also have their GUS
toners, and during the last few years
wages have risen so much that the
more expensive "harrels' do not fright
en- the workingman away from his
pub"
Parliament has accepted the new
excise duties not because the idea
was that Holland should be made
Finance, who is wanting money for
all sorts of social reforms. should
obtain more millions from liquor The
excise duty now will be more than
doubled In 1877 it was fixed at ST
gulders the hectaiter. during the war
about $50 guilders, and now it will be
not less than $50 guilders the hecta-
liter. This means that the publican
who at present has to pay guilder
within a few weeks will have to pay
about 3 guilders and 20 cents. AS a
consequence, in the future. the work
man will pay about 13 cents for his
/ gin and the cafe visitor about 35
cents.
Wine Merchants Suffer
The abstainers and teetotalers hope
that these high prices will become
powerful weapon in their hands, but
time alone will show whether they are
to be disappointed. It. is expected that
the wine merchants, whose customers
among the middle classes. will be
the greatest sufferers, for these
! classes. who had already begun to be
less liberal with their wines and liq-
uors when tertainng, will now
either buy less wine or StoD it q Ito
/ gcther SO that if Holland gradu-
ally becomes dry" it will not be
because the majority of the Dutch
I people believe in teetotalism but be-
/ cause most people will not be able TO
afford liquor. This being so. many
people are wondering whether the
! Finance Minister has not made great
mistake, for the new excise duties in
stead of being good thing for the
treasury may prove to be failure.
Do-~,n c~ocA