The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-16
BONDED BOOZE
RUNNING Low,
PRICE SOARING
Approach of Repeal Signal
for Frenzied Drive to
Corner Market.

Indianapolis bootleggers wore hap
by grins today at the prospect of
regaining some of their lost bust
ness. as they watched the price of
medicinal whisky rise as result Of a
shortage in supply.
Practically all the sixteen and
seventeen-year-old brands, such as
1. w. Harper, Old Taylor, Sunny
brook and others, which cost the
druggist from S3450 TO S36 a case
when medicinal whisky was legal
lied in Indiana a few months ago,
now are priced wholesale at S55 a
case.
Forecast that the wholesale price
would go to between SIS and S85 a
case, and possibly even 500, by
Christmas, with many Of the more
popular brands unobtainable at any
price, was made today by L. Michael
Condor, local distillery representa-
tive and president Of the new Cen
trail States Brokerage Corporation,
Indianapolis.
Reduced Profits
Retail prices of medicinal whisky
have not kept pace with wholesale
prices here, druggists reducing their
profit to hold the prices down, but
most of the favorite brands have
been hiked from so cents to 81 a
pint, and the price must be liked
further when new stocks are ordered.
Brands which formerly were sold
here from s225 to $3.50 a pint now
are retailing at from So to $3.50,
with higher priced favorites in
creased accordingly.
The price rise is due partly to the
shortage in supply of aged whisky in
distillery warehouses. and partly to
the battle on the part of large in
terests to corner the supply in an
ticipation of prohibition repeal.
Stock to Be Rectified
There are only about 1900, 900
gallons of whisky in bond today,
according to Condor. OF this
amount, 100000 gallons are old
whisky and. after repeal, can be
rectif1ed by the addition of alcohol
and water, and sometimes Sherry
wine, each gallon of old whisky
being converted into from two to
four gallons of rectified whisky.
This process can not be followed
legally with medicinal whisky,
which must be uncus.
For this reason, distillerS are not
the least bit anxious to make sales
to druggists now, preferring to hold
their limited stocks until after re-
peal when they can be cut, or recti-
fed, and produce greater profits,
Condor said.
Consumption Of whisky in this
country in pre-prohibition days
ranged from 100000 to 100000
gallons a year, with about 20 per
cent of this imported.
Trading in whisky warehouse GER
tificates is going on at a dizzy pace
recalling the frenzied dealing in lots
during the Florida real estate boom
and in stocks on New York curb be-
fore the break in 1929
Bring Fancy Prices
Groups seeking to corner the sup
ply are buying certificates at any
price. confident that the price will
be higher in the next few days.
The Central States Brokerage
Corporation, formed here several
weeks ago with Condor as president
and Sidney WeinStein as treasurer,
to corner a supply of whisky in
bond in anticipation of repeal. has
bought up certificates representing
about 400 barrels of whisky, and
hopes to acquire another 100000
worth for speculative purposes.
AS evidence of the actual short
age in whisky. Condor has received
a letter from the Bernheim distil-
lery at Louisville announcing that
its stock of older Whistles will be
exhausted by Oct. l, leaving only a
small quantity of 4-year-old whisky
with which to fill orders.