Evening star., 1947-02-26
.LiquorSaIes
Put at 5 Million
Gallons aYear
Doctors Favor Plan
To Tox Trade to
Help Alcoholics
By GEORGE Kennedy


titled liquors a year are being
bought in Washington. Guy w.
Pearson, District tax collector, told
a House subcommittee today at a
hearing on the Hebert bill.
The bill would declare a chronic
alcoholic sick man and tax the
liquor trade to establish clinics In
the District for his rehabilitation.
The committee, under the chair
of Representative Miller,
Of Nebraska also heard
from DR.. Robert H. Felix, chief of
mental hygiene in the United States
Public Health Service, that alcohol
ism now Is the fourth public health
problem, exceeded only by heart dis
ease, cancer and tuberculosis,
DR.. Winfred Overholser, superin-
tendent Of st. Elizabeth's Hospital.
testified that alcoholism is the only
public health problem not being at
tackled Systematically.
Physicians Favor Bill.
Both physicians expressed them
selves as favoring the bill, with
the reservation that the clinics
should be under the Health De-
partment rather than the Depart
ment Of Corrections, as provided
in the bill.
DR.. Felix estimated that such a
program could rehabilitate half the
drunkards. DR.. Overholser's estimate
was one-third.
Mr.. Pearson testified that in the
first six months Of the current Gov
ernment year-from July /, 1916, to
December 81, 1946-he had issued
stamps for the sale in the District
of 2,571,815 gallons of whisky, rum,
gin and brandy.
For the entire year, that figure
can safely be doubled under present
conditions" Mr.. Pearson said.
Chairman Miller asked, You
mean more than 100000 gallons a
year2"
THAT is right" the witness
answered.
Representative Hebert, Democrat,
OF Louisiana sponsor of the bill,
asked, you mean $4,000, 900 fifths?"
The witness answered, "Yes."
Doesn't Lnclude Beer or Wine.
Representative Youngblood. Re-
publican, of Michigan, asked If that
total included beer or wine. The
witness answered that it did not.
Mr.. Pearson gave statistics on the
sale OF wine stamps. He said that
In the same six-month period tax
on 14,125 gallons of champagne had
been paid and for 315,889 gallons
of wine Of is per cent and more
alcoholic strength. Wine of IA per
cent and under strength, he ex-
planned, is not taxed. Y ITS
He said that since 1914 there had
been a marked increase In gallonage
sales. He gave these figures:
For the year ending June 80, 1916,
1888 800 gallons of distilled liquors;
$1,000 gallons Of champagne, $780,
900, gallons of wine above IA per
cent.
In the year ending June 30, 1945,
sales were 4,174,954 gallons of liquor;
22,019 gallons of champagne and
555,630 gallons Of plus IA per cent
wine.
In the year ending June 30, 1914,
there was a marked shortage of
liquor available. Sales were 3,141,-
1876 gallons of liquor; 32,340 gallons
of champagne and 689,41O gallons
OF IA per cent wine.
In the 1943 Government year.
which was as far back as the wiz
ness went, sales were 4,176,000 gall
Ions of liquor; 1852 gallons Of
champagne and 873,S80 gallons of
IA per cent and above wine.
Revenues Exceed $4,000
Revenues from this gallonage sale,
the witness said, had exceeded $2,-
000, 900 each year, except 1914. The
tax on liquor, he said, was so cents
a gallon; on champagne, IS cents,
and on wine, 10 cents gallon.
Because the Districts tax is so
cents on a gallon of liquor and the
average of Eastern Seaboard States
more than 81, some of the liquor
sold in the District is for consump-
ton elsewhere. This is particularly
true for residents of nearby Mary
land and Virginia WHO work in the
District.
DR.. Miller called attention to the
fact that bill before another House
committee would double these taxes,
and brought out that 10 per cent of
the $4,000, 600, which the witness said
was expected revenue, would pro-
vide 100000 for the purpose of the
Hebert bill.
DIR. Felix Praises Legislation.
DR.. Felix testified that "It is a real
delight to a health official and a
psychiatrist to see such legislation
introduced for the benefit of the
people of the District"
Quoting studies made by Drs.
Howard w. Haggard and E. NJ Jel-4
linek, he outlined the national alco<
holism problem as: -
Between $4,000, 900 and 55,000,000
persons drink. About 2,250,000, or 4
per cent, drink intemperately. About
100000 are chronic alcoholics and
205 900 of these are women.
DR.. Overholser said that because
the law considers alcoholism crime,
and the church considers it sin,
medicine is pushed out Of this pub
lie health problem.
Referring to the declaration In the
bill that the alcoholic Is sick man,
he said, Il think this is almost rev.
I am delighted"
He said only about 5 per cent Of
the admissions at st. Elizabeth's
were due to alcoholism.