Evening star., 1943-07-06
Liquor Stocks Indicate
Only |ya3-Year Supply
On Rationed Basis

wi koIIVueu Do9IS
(Thts Is the first OF three daily
stories on the liquor situation, re-
porting findings OF Nation
,otde surrey by the Associated
Press.)
By the Associated Press,
It's going to be q longer time
between drinks from now until pos
sibly the end OF the war.
With production Of beverage al
cohol now banned by the Govern
ment, estimates of how long the
available liquor supply viii last
vary from two to four years. Most
industry spokesmen set 1t at three
years-on q rationed basis.
A survey Of the liquor situation
made by the Associated Press
shows:
/. There is no immediate nkeN-
hood Of lifting Of the ban on 1nak-
ing beverage alcohol.
No Federal Rationing.
2. The Once of Price Administra-
ton says no rationing Of liquor Is
presently contemplated by the Gov.
ernment-considering liquor a lux
ury item-but evidence gathered
throughout the Nation indicates
that virtually the same thing will
be accomplished either by State
laws or voluntary rationing sys-
TENS, many Of which now are In
effect.
3. For some tastes the situation
may be eased-but only slightly
through increased imports Of Puerto
Rican and Cuban runs, Cuban and
Mexican gins. But imports Of
Scotch and Canadian whisky may
be less as time goes on.
4. More and more tipplers are
shifting to beer, some to wine.
With distillers operating on the
assumption that what they have in
warehouses now may be all they'll
have until the war is over, they
have rationed wholesalers In an at
tempt to stretch out the supplies.
Closings Have Begun.
The wholesalers, in turn, are ra-
tioning the retailers, with this re-
suit:
The pinch already is such that
some package stores, bars and
taverns have closed In certain Sec
tions Of the country, the highest
mortality so far being in Ohio, where
1000 bars and taverns have locked
their doors due to lack Of supplies.
The survey shows the cut in sup
plies now available varies by Sec
tions, ranging from drop Of 90
per cent in some parts Of Louisiana
to a Is per cent lowered supply IN
New York State. OF all the States,
only little Rhode Island reports any
thing resembling a normal supply.
Officials of the War Production
Board, who would have the say on
whether the Nations distillers some
time during the war could resume at
least limited production Of alcohol
for beverage purposes, decline to
make fiat statement on the matter,
declaring that much depends on
the agricultural situation - how
much corn there is-and the
demands Of our war machine for
alcohol, used in making gunpowder
and synthetic rubber.
Millions Of Gallons for Rubber.
You could mix a lot Of Tom Col
linses with 100000 gallons Of
alcohol, but that is the gallonage
estimated as necessary to turn out
the synthetic rubber slated for pro-
duction in q years time at just one
Government-supervised plant - the
big one at Institute, w. Va.
Bourbon is particularly scarce
among the whiskies, and it's vir-
tually impossible to get gin in some
sections of the country.
Rum and brandy still are fairly
plentiful.
Standard brands Of liquor are
particularly hard to get. and in
place of many old favorites num-
ber of new brands have appeared
on the shelves, of varying proofs
and ages.
Distillers have lowered proofs
the alcoholic content - Of some
stocks In order to stretch out sup
plies.
Allied Liquor Industries, Inc, q
trade organization, offers this out
look:
"The consumer of ardent spirits
or, in everyday terms, whisky, gin,
rum and brandy-can probably
count on a supply Of somewhat less
than two bottles for every three he
consumed last year."
Tighter in Monopoly States.
And why are stocks Of spirits not
the same in every part Of the coun-
try?
Various reports show that stocks
are tighter in monopoly States
States where liquor retailing is
supervised by the States themselves
than they are in ooen States
wphere the stores are run by pri-
vate enterprise.
A large manufacturer explains it
this way:
I'm the monopoly States there
was usually a scientific system Of
inventory for the very purpose of
keeping the stock down. In the open
State, however, the wholesaler and
retailer may have had heavy stocks
when distillers started rationing.
>R - S-I>