Evening star., 1932-06-12

raisins, .-:....o................ Ils.s2osoo
Smuggled wine. ................. l55900
Total wine. ........... 1916 200
Mss Mss haaSF suSEs n1mf sSS
Total malt LIQUORS. ss4.47s,soo
Spirits =. ................. 7a.ss6.7ls
Seen Ssne .............,.., aas sas47Ss9o 47S soo
Total possible production ~ s76. .33s.7ls
Economists and statisticians of the
Association Against the Prohibition
Amendment not only made an estimate
OF the national thirst in 1880, but its
cost. Their table follows:
'es ISss1 $3.50 cOo
seer 4so,oSoooS sS,oCo so sssSSS sssSOSSSS SSS
s2,s4s.o 900 900
1t will be observed that the two esti-
mates on wine and beer vary but slight
ly. Only on the estimates of our con-
sumption of bootleg spirits is there any
vice difference. Here the Government s
figure of 73,386,l18 proof gallons is
more than doubled by the unofficial
ruess. In aVproXip at'l.g the p,ices of
bootleg liquor the statisticians aimed at
an average. Their timidity is obvious.
Big Profits Shown.
Speakeisies in New York CITY nav
$l8 for half barrel of beer which
measures l5l2 gallons. This amounts
to about sl.l6 gallon. At IS cents a
glass-there are $50 glasses to a half
barrel-the retail price of a gallon of
communities. the same glass costs is
cents but never less. The reader will
note that the unofficial price of beer is
so cents a gallon. The poisonous red
ink which passes for wine in MANY
places in any large city fetches rs cents
quart or 50 a gallon Again the
reader will note the unofficial price is
$3.50 gallon, although champagne re-.
tails for $40 gallon and up. Synthetic
port and sherry are $40 gallon. The
cheapest type of poisonous gin in the
cities is So gallon. Real and poison
Gus whisky is never retailed below sl2
gallon the pure fetching $40 and
more at bootleg prices. In the month
OF June, 1882, case of "a pints of Old
Overholt, purchased by druggists hav-
ing Government licenses, was S54.
Other prices were: Maryland rye, $50;
any Kentucky rye, s45; Bourbon, s37. so
10 $500 The reader will observe that
these Whiskies were from sl2.5O to sl3
a gallon: A bootlegger would pay at
least treble for this same whisky. An
estimate of $4,000, ,0000 as the coun-
try's annual drink bill is not extraya-
CANT. And it is tax exempt.
But to return to the bootlegger's chief
source OF supply of real whisky-the
rum ships. In discussing this phase of
the problem before Congress Rear Ad-
miral Billiard said that most smugeled
liquor came from the headquarters of
the Consolidated Exporters Co. of VAN
couVer, the Pioneer Distillery of Am
herstburg the United Distillers Corpo-
ration OF Montreal and several other
Canadian distilleries.
Little OF the smuggled whisky, or any
other whisky. reaches the consumer in
its primal condition.
Counterfeit Bottles.
The deceptively labeled bottles in the
average speakeasy are entirely coun-
terfeit-bottles, labels, corks, cans and
contents. The best. in most places,
Is from one-flfth to one-tenth part
WHISKY. The counterfeit is made with
water, coloring matter. havoring and
alconol-good, bad and deadly. The
deadly is wood alcohol. The bad is
reoenatured stuff, cleaned" in plants
equipped for this work Any product
IN which alcohol is predominant, in
Guiding paint remover, is Cleaned"
and made into gin, whisky, cognac and
other drinks. The poison cannot be
entirely removed by any commercial
process
Inc number of deaths from poison
Gus liquor is another unknown detail
OF our newest big business Occasional
gueSses are made by municipal officers.
MOST OF the poisonous liquor is sold in
the larger cities. The worst, which
Kills outright, is sold in the slums
When the deaths in short period are
numerous In one particular section OF
a town 1t becomes first page news and
then the police act. But at times
these deaths are kept from the press
and then no action is taken save a
friendly warning to the keeper of the
speak to be more careful
made IN licensed plants or in the illicit
distilleries which dot the country, or
alcohol made from grain sugar and
molasses.
The big Illicit distilleries are known
either to the local officials or to Fed
eral agents. usually both. And weekly
visits are made by these officers of the
law to the distilleries One distillery
not far from the Statue of Liberty
paid more than 100000 for protection
in 1881.
Alcohol Diverted.
1t is common talk in the drug trade
that most manufacturing druggists
pertumers and makers of proprietary
medicines who have grain alcohol per-
mlts divert part Of their supply to
bootleggers. The Government esti-
mated that in 1880 nearly IA per cent
OF bootleg spirits was diverted alco-
hol. Naming one of the largest OF
these concerns, a wholesale druggist
said to the author: This house paid
year" Blank was a prohibition di-
rector Of New York State
Many post-prohibition concerns which
make hair tonics. antiseptics and other
proprietary articles containing dena-
tured alcohol are owned chiefly by
bootleggers
This is the chief source of supply
OF the filling stations and cordial shops
where alcohol is sold for 81 a gallon
| Alcohol in its denatured state is sold
under Government license for so cents
gallon or less. The Government, as
government, does not know that the
makers OF nalr tones and the like are
bootleggers but some of the Govern
ment agents do.
One small hair tonic" plant, moi
many miles from City Hall, withdrew
| several hundred thousands gallons oi
denatured alcohol annually under Gov.
eminent license. Denatured alcohol
although convertible into a base fol
bevere ges-is tax free
In February, 1882, druggist licensed
to buy alcohol. paid s375 a gallon in
15-gallon lots On this the Govern
ment received a tax of $208 on each
gallon.
Until denaturirg began chair tonic
manufacturers paid a tax Of $2.08 or
each gallon of alcohol to the Govern
ment. The denaturing was designed
to stop the diversion of alcohol tc
bootleggers and the tax was removed