The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-26
S3,OOO,OOO,OOO
IS u. S. LIQUOR
BILL FOR 1884
Official Treasury Figures
Reveal Huge Slump for
First Year.
Copyright. 1884, by United Press

WASHINGTON, Dec. rs. - The
American public paid a liquor bill of
more than s3.000,000.00O, ABOUT S25
a person, during the first year of
repeal, it was disclosed today.
This huge sum was estimated from
official Treasury figures, but does not
include hundreds of millions of dol
lars believed to have been spent in
purchasing bootleg liquor.
If the payments were made in ST
bills, they would have formed a
chain, end to end, stretching 246, 900
miles or approximately 10 times
around the world.
Another measure of this gigantic
total is that it more than doubles
the amount paid by the Federal
Government last year for relief of
about 100000 persons.
Despite the magnitude of the
amount it is only slightly more than
estimates of the annual cost of
bootleg liquor during prohibition
years. In 1881, the Association
Against the Prohibition Amendment
estimated the public was paying
$2,848,0O0,000 for its drinks.
Praised by Repeal Heads
Disclosure of the liquor bill brought
praise from proponents of repeal,
who termed it big asset in ma
tional recovery, and biting criticism
from opponents, who charged it was
extravaganza and waste
DR.. James M. Doran, head of the
Distilled Spirits Institute, said:
During the year about 5000, 100000
was spent on construction of plants
and equipment, which benefited
many lines of employment"
Cash poured into purchases of
grain from farmers, cooperage, bot
ties, packing cases and all types of
cartons. During the past three
months there has been a constant
increase in Federal tax payments,
indicating bootlegging is on the
wane," DR.. Doran said.
There is no question that direct
employment has resulted in addition
to greater activity in warehousing,
retailing and wholesaling fields"
Treasury figures showed taxes
during the year we're paid on 1885,
576,810 gallons of spirits, wines and
beer. Payments totaling more than
1868 10000 poured into the FEEDER
al tax Golfers at the rate of about
100000 daily.
Drys Attack Report
In addition, states and municipal
tiles collected millions of dollars in
revenues.
The Anti-Saloon League of Amer
lea termed the huge expenditure
economic folly" and said the bill
probably would be larger in succeed
ing years since many states did not
have repeal during portions of the
first year.
THE economic folly of repeal"
the league told the United Press, lis
revealed by the startling fact that
in the past year twice as much
money was spent for legal liquor as
for relief purposes.
In other words, money wasted
for legalized intoXicants in one year
was sufficient to have paid the en-
tire cost of Federal relief for two
years. The country's liquor bill of
three billion annually clearly is
serious handicap to economic re-
covery
1871 Gallons Per Capita
THE same sum spent for milk,
meat and other products of farmers
would have tremendous boost for
agriculture. Spent for manufac-
tured commodities, shoes, clothing,
furniture and household equipment,
1t would have been decided help to
manufacturers and retailers and
would have provided work for sew
eral million unemployed.
THE revenue received can not be
construed as substitute for money
wasted in liquor because of in
creased = accidents, administration
expenses and crime"
Based on Treasury tax figures, the
estimated consumption during the
year of repeal ending Dec. 5, includ-
ing foreign and domestic brands,
was:
Spirits, 1912, $50 gallons.
Wines, 1924 $50 gallons.
Beer, 1,576,000,00O gallons.
On this basis the per capita con-
sumption of liquor was 1877 gallons
annually, OF which 1871 gallons were
beer and the remaining fraction
wine and whisky.