Show i WHISKY MEANS ANY OLD THING The Blends BI Dds the Compounds and Various Mixtures Come Under One Head ITS ALL CALLED WHISKY OPINION OF SOLICITOR GENERAL OR THE UNITED STATES 1 Washington June TUne 7 Lloyd W Bow Bowers Bowers Bowers ers solicitor general of the United States today submitted to President Taft his opinion as to what the term whisky means in law The mixture of whisky with alcohol or neutral spirits Is II entitled to the name whisky Mr Bowers holds provided the mixture retains a substantial amount of byproducts in proportion to the vol volume volume volume ume of the giving distinct fla flavor flavor flavor vor and an propertied He says saS the addition addi addition addition tion of alcohol to whIsk whisky is not the introduction of a 8 foreign substance but butIs butIs butis Is merely an enlargement of the pro proportion proportion portion of one proper constituent It ItI 1 I merely a form of dilution just as the addition of water is Compounds Also AIo Whisky Continuing Sir Mr Ir Bowers says So long as ai a the mixed article varies only In respect of being stronger or weaker without losing distinctive flavors flavor and properties in substantial degree and consequently the article has not been altered In n Its essential Es nature It can cannot cannot cans not be said that the Ute public has haR been giving the name whisky to an article In ignorance of its character or under delusion de delusion delusion lusion concerning the thing to which the name whisky was applied Even Evena a 11 compound article made by the com combining combining combining bining of two things wholly foreign to each other may through application to toby It by the public of a single distinctive e ename name acquire the full fun right to that name In such ease case the established dis distinctive dl distinctive name properly describes the compound article and the pure food fo d act recognizes this it being provided in that act that in the case of mixtures or compounds which may be now or from time to time hereafter known as articles of food under their own dis distinctive distinctive distinctive name and not an imitation of or offered for sale under the distinctive name of another article the use of such name shall not be a misbranding Not an Imitation Whisky mixed with alcohol cannot be imitation of other whisky while It still retains the requisite amount of by byproducts byproducts byproducts products of the distillation from grain because it is identical with unmixed whis y under the description which I have given it and mixed whisky which remains identical in n constitution and character with another article proper properly ly I called whisky cannot In Its own use of the name whisky whisk be said to be beu using u ing the th distinctive name of the other identical article Solicitor General Bowers holds that the name name whisky has no different scope whEthEr hether It be used as a drug or as a beverage He also holds that the con contention contention contention that whisky may be made from molasses is I While the opinion of Mr Bowers Is s snot not final and may be overturned by subsequent proceedings proc it is s a distinct victOry for forte the Ule contention of blended whisky distillers dis rs and Is l a a reversal of II the position heretofore taken by the department of oC agriculture THe opinion opinion ion is very voluminous consisting of thousands of f pages of testimony and an opinion of Solicitor General Bowers President Taft authorized the opinion opinion opinIon ion of Mr r B Bowers is ets to be e made public but announced no opinion himself be because because because cause It t was waa desired to hear further testimony taken from those known as straight whisky distillers |