| Show NEWS BEHIND BEH IN D THE NEWS I Written for The Telegram By Ray Tucker WASHINGTON The noble experiment after the last one Is sinking under a flood of the greatest greatest great great- est amount amount o of liquor which any Country has has' seen at any time Government agents confide privately privately privately that the liquor industry may be in deep trouble rouble sooner than anybody except insiders re re- re a alize lize Liquor Liquor- stocks now now in the warehouses warehouses ware ware- houses h total gallons gallons- 2 00 million more than at any pre- pre prohibition p peak Makers dont don't h have ave to pay the tax until it its i is s withdrawn from bond but after e eight ight years they must cough up whether it is is' ison on the way to market mar mar- ket or not Since a great portions portion i is s already five years old the day of o f reckoning approaches and it its i is s doubtful if any except the biggest biggest big big- gest fellows can finance the tax Only 30 of distilleries in the c country are operating and but t three of the 67 in Senator Barkley's Barkey's Barkley's Bark- Bark l leys ley's state of Kentucky are open The same drive for profits which precipitated precipitate prohibition accounts accounts accounts ac ac- ac- ac counts for the present situation Whereas it costs about to pay all aU charges on a gallon of four y year old old ar-old stuff materials bottles storage insurance etc t the he average retail price pric is s about 13 When congress congress' boosted the levy l evy from 2 to at the last session session session-a a senate slap at the ma ma- jt j leader the leader the distillers upped t their heir price an average of 10 cents a fifth Thus they collect 50 cents from the customer although the government takes only 25 pennies per gallon from them Its It's AmerI Amer Amer- I ica's o outstanding example of the need for for- eco economic pla planning ning A grand army of lobbyists has swarmed into the capital to fingerprint fingerprint fin fin- the members s of the monopoly committee and report their attitude toward big business and nd industry The scouts have relayed bad news in inmost inmost inmost most instances as a few excerpts from t their reveal Here is a not too inaccurate characterization characterization char char- of the investigators Chairman Funda Funda Fundamentally mentally sound and will not smear business Borah Borah Views Views well known to you King Ready King Ready and willing to protect industry from smear tactics tactics looks looks on investigation tion with suspicion Can be liken likened d to Senator King Eicher One Eicher One hundred per cent new dealer Reece Anti Reece Anti new deal thoroughly friendly to busi busi- ness The government agents on the committee dont don't fare so well weH Arnold A Arnold A thorough new dealer with wilh more than average radical tendencies Oliphant A Ol A new dealer but by no means a radical Lubin Sound Lubin Sound fundamentally but butwill butwill butwill will go along with the administration administration administration adminis adminis- when he can Assistant Commerce Secretary Pat Patterson Very Patterson t e r son Very friendly to business Douglas Douglas- Thorough new dealer and will go goto to any lengths to put through his hi ideas of an abundant life Frank FrankA FrankA A A radical and a business hater Admiral Peoples Sound Peoples Sound and a square shooter Ballinger al alternate alternate alternate al- al ternate for Federal Trader Ferguson Fer Fer- guson guson A As bad as 81 Frank Old hands at ferreting out the the Freudian minds of congressional investigating committees the pattern often repeats repeats figure figure that these men will deliver their most smashing blows against industries associated with construction and motor transportation They will that is unless Attorney General Cummings beats them to the punch ch with rith summer and fall in in- in The D. D of J. J federal trade commission commission com corn mission has assigned special staffs to mobilize damning material material mate mate- rial against these industries Glass steel cement All AU pertain to the home building which F. F D. D R. R seeks to stimulate The larger oil companies both eastern and Californian are slated for indictment indictment indictment indict indict- ment soon while middle western outfits will be for al alleged alleged al- al violation of If their nolo nob contendere contendere contendere con- con sentences Automobile acceptance acceptance acceptance ac ac- ac- ac companies are now awaiting trial on a second indict indict- ment The rubber and leather industries also connected with the motoring field will be given givena a thorough spanking by the A G Gor Gor Gor or the committee As always happens the senatorial senatorial senatorial rial investigators and administration tion agencies are being flooded with complaints from small dealers dealers dealers deal deal- ers and manufacturers who figure figure fig fig- ure that now is their chance to squeal on th the big fellows In ordinary ordinary or or- times such complainants are af afraid aid to squawk or sell out when the government demands specific evidence of monopolistic practices But now they're yelling yelling yelling yell yell- ing their sore heads heads' off Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |
