Evening star., 1933-09-26


pay the higher prices. -.
(Note. There Is talk at present Of
taxing whisky and other things at so
much per gallon. This would mean, Of
course, taxing the water as well as the
alcohol. which Is what we ought to
avoid, since whisky, for instance, con-
tanning IS per cent alcohol would be
taxed the same as whisky containing
SIS per cent?
It is believed this would bring in a
larger revenue than ever before from
these sources, encourage the use Of
lighter alcoholic beverages and dis
courage Illicit and home manufacture
II suggested taxes are not sufficiently
high to raise $1,000, ,000, 900 annually
for the Federal Government they
should be increased. Care, however,
must be taken not to make taxes too
high since doing SO will encourage the
bootlegger, the gangster, the racketeer,
the Speakeasy and homebrew, and not
only encourage such detrimental agen-
cies, but reduce the amount collectible
on taxes, just as putting too high tax
on beer in England reduced the amount
Of revenue collected.
The estimate of what the Federal
tax will bring in has been based on
reports. not vouched for, but believed
Estimatoes of Revenue.
Taxes on alcoholic beverages for
three years preceding prohibition aver
aged $412,00O,000 paid by purchasers
but returned to public through reduc-
ton in other taxes. At the same rate,
receipts now would be much more, but
If at the rate suggested. should yield
say $l,O00,000, 1000, and if at the rate
approximating that in England, ST.
900 100000 Now, however, profit of
racketeers. etc. perhaps $4,000 900 600,
or vastly more, does not come back to
the public and reduce other taxes, but
goes to an increasingly menacing class.
conservative estimate would seem
to be that the Federal Government has
been losing at least 81 900 100000 a
there has been the cost of enforce
ment, courts, police. hospitals. prisons,
sanitariums. insane asylums, loss of
life and eyesight. increased kidney dis
ease, etc, totaling perhaps several
times as much as the loss in taxes
Among other losses ar expenditures
by vacationists with preference for for
eign lands and steamers.
State Revenue Limited.
State revenue should be limited to
receipts from licenses (although a re-
tail luxury sales tax in addition is
worth consideration). 1t must be en-
phasized that If State as we'll as Fed
eral taxes are too high. they will en-
courage Illicit sale and homebrew, and
react on revenue itself.
T1ndor M cirr,Yy, St prac eho,ild onv
State resort to an excise tax-that
properly belongs to the Federal Gov
ernment.
A license for large hotel or impor-
tant restaurant should cost more than
one for country tavern, where the
population is small or one for a city
tavern where the population is poor
The same principle holds good when
considering the price Of licenses to
small hotels, restaurants. clubs, beer
gardens, concert halls and passenger
transportation companies (where the
unit principle must be taken into con-
sideration as welD.
In some parts of the country, there
will be a demand for many retail sales
places, while in others the demand will
be small.
Assuming that there are 125,00o, 900
people in the United States and that
there will be an average demand for
one retail sales place per 100 people,
and that the average price of license
is s400, the revenue for the States
would be $500. 100000 per year.
This problem must be worked out In
detail, having in view the best interests
of the population, and reasonable
revenue for the States.
Believing that it may be Of interest
to know approximately the alcoholic
contents Of different beverages. the fol-
lowing is given:
American whisky before prohibition
was usually about so per cent alcohol
per volume, and sometimes went to
SIS per cent. Scotch and Irish whiskies
were somewhat less, but both of these
have been going down to some degree
and probably American whisky will
follow in the near future. Scotch and
Irish whiskies now run between IS and
As per cent. Gin averages Ettle more
1t is appropriate at this time to call
attention to the fact that there is
quite a difference between distilled
and synthetic gin commonly called
bath-tub gin), the difference being that
synthetic gin Is made by diluting alco-
hol with about SO per cent water and
adding juniper berry extract and gly-
cerin, and this is often consumed be-
fore it has had chance to become
thoroughly blended. Distilled gin, how
ever. has the same ingredients, but
they are put together first and distilled
afteYward
Good beer runs up to about S per
cent alcohol per volume, ale and stout
about tx per cent.
Through the courtesy of Victor
Rey, managing director Of the Ritz
Hotel in Paris, who is thoroughly
familiar with French products, it has
been possible to give the following al
coholic statistics:
Degrees Moyens Des Wins Blancs ct
Rouges.
Wins ordinaires du Midi,
Blancs ct Rouges de. $50 @11%
(consommation locale)
Wins ordinaires d'Algerie,
Blancs ct Rouges ........9.0% @13%
Wins Rouges de Bordeaux
(vine courants) de. ...... 90 @11%
Blancs de Bordeaux (vins
courants) ...............1 1o% @12%
Grands wins Rouges de Bor-
Grands wins Blancs ct Bor-
deauX ................. lz3o U Ul41o
Bourgognes Blancs ct Rouges Memes
Degrees Que Les Bordeaux.
Champagne ..............1 1870
Wins des Cotes du Rhone. 1870
Wins d'Anjou ............11 11To
Porto ct Sherry 1870 @2o%
Cognac qualite moyenne. 1870
Grande Fine Champagne
(vieille) ................ 400 @41%
Liquors, genre Chartreuse. 1870
Cherry Brandy ............ 1920
Curacao Cointreau triple sec 40To
Curacao Mariner Gordon
Rouge .................. 1870
Curacao Mariner Gordon
jaime NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1870
Anisette Marie BriZard. 25%o
Kummel ................. 1870
f'' que ] ....... 4s%@ @4s%