The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-28
MORE DRINKS
TO Be POURED
ON HOLIDAYS
Heavy Increase Revealed
in WithdraWs of
Whisky.
By Vrited Press


WASHINGTON, Nov. 28-Holi-
day drinking in the United States
probably will be greater this year
than since bootleggers reaped
enormous profits and drinkers paid
fabulous prices for so-called i'm
ported whisky in the boom years
1923 and 1929.
The Treasury Department dis
closed that Withdrawals Of whisky
from storage totaled 6,37l,752 gall
Ions in September, compared with
3.753,185 gallons in August and S.
500, SCI gallons in the previous peak
month, December, 1884
Treasury officials also pointed out
that internal revenue collectors,
getting an earlier start than usual,
already have requested more whisky
revenue stamps than they did last
year, and that the bureau of print
ing and engraving has greatly in
creased its supply Of stamps to meet
this demand.
Blends Most Popular
AS expected, however, all except
fraction Of the whisky consumed
will be either blended or compar-
atively new straight whisky. The
Bureau of Printing and En-
craving, in preparing for the rush
period, made up only 1851 900
stamps for bottles Of bonded whisky,
while it prepared 218,000,o00 stamps
to be placed on bottles of blended
products.
1t was pointed out that, in addi-
ton to the greatly increased amount
of legal liquor which is expected to
be consumed, bootleggers will con-
tinue to market their wares not only
In dry" states but in other places
where people have found they can
purchase the illicit liquor more
cheaply than they can obtain the
legal brands.
Estimates of the amount of boot
leg liquor consumed range from
negligible quantity to guesses by
some observers that the bootleg
total equals the legitimate totals.
Rum Running Curbed
Treasury officials, however, say
that the increase in Withdrawals of
legal whisky indicates a lessening in
the amount of Illicit liquor con-
sumed. Recent increased activity
of the Coast Guard, they believe,
has resulted in reduction of the
number Of known rum-running YES
sells from 70 to 8.
Treasury figures, however, show
that in addition to the heavy with
drawals of whisky in September,
distributors are preparing for heavy
demands for finer alcoholic products.
Rum Withdrawals in September
totaled 40,2l0 gallons, compared with
1889 gallons in August and 1928
gallons in September, 1884. The
peak month for rum Withdrawals,
however, was December, 1884, when
5000 gallons were taken from
storage.
Withdrawals of brandy last month
amounted to 146806 gallons, COM
pared with 84114 gallons in August,
and 1898 gallons in September,
1884. AS was the case with rum, the
ptok month for Withdrawals of
brandy since repeal was December,
1884, when 213887 gallons were
taken from storage houses.
More Alcohol Withdrawn
Officials noted that Withdrawals
of alcohol also had increased,
amounting to 1,914,699 gallons last
month as against 1,682,842 gallons in
September, 1884. The peak with
drawals Of alcohol. however, were in
the months Immediately following
repeal, when Americans still we're in
the habit of mixing their own gin.
Alcohol Withdrawals totaled 3,747,-
623 gallons in December, 1888, when
whisky Withdrawals were only 81
752,525 gallons. January, 1894, was
the second highest month in with
drawals of alcohol, when the total
was 2,979, 439 gallons.
The near doubling Of whisky
Withdrawals last month brought the
total Withdrawals of alcoholic prod
ucts to 1881, 542 gallons, compared
with the previous peak of 8,425, 1893
gallons in December, 1884.