Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-07
Tax ON Beer

When he Tax bill vas before the House Hon.
ro.S oe ,h;. State. sought 70 have the tax
on beer and other fermeated liquors reduced rom
81 70 so cents a gallon, and among the many
reasons advanced therefor We give toe ioiiow-
ing:
he said that when malt liquors are abandoned
a. beverage among the people either from the
high duty imposed on their MANUFACTURE OF from
sny Other cause. soirtuous liquors ct once supply
their place, and dissipation, oruhkenhess anu
poverty of tie people are the inevitable conse
quences OF such change
What are the unhappy results OF this excessive
taxation of harmless and popular beverage!
Why, the substitution OF whisky anu Otner spir-
Ituous liquors
The increase OF tax in Scotland on malt and
beer Of only about IS cents a barrel entirely de
stroyed the manufacture of ale and beer, and
spiriiuous liquors took their place. In my own
town, where there but few breweries 10 operation
two large distilleres were erected botn OF these
distilleries have been closed, and We nave now
eigh; breweries in operation, some OF them very
extensive, upon whom tax Oi 81 per Darrell
will operate hardly. They are perfectly willing
to pay 80 cents u barrel OF 81 gallons as tax,
though this is too large: but they are unwilling
10 paw 81, believing such tax imposed on this
aud which in some instances 10 ~ ieau W the utser
abandonment of their business.
By the act providing for internal revenue 10
support the government and pay the interest on
the national debt passed ia July oil 1907, a duty
OF 81 was laid each barrel OF 81 gallons oil la
ger beer, ale. porter and other Similar lermented
liquors. This act was in force from July 1.
1862, when n was approved, to March > oil 1908
BY the twelfth section Of the act approved March
). 1863. The duty 81 per barrel OF 81 gallons
of lager beer. ale anu porter, WAS reduced 10 oO
cents barrel OF 81 gallons; and at that rate. the
taxation has continued up 10 the present tine,
when il is now proposed 10 tax all those who en-
gagged largely in the business OF brewing under
the act reducing the tax on beer 10 bO cents, and
who have made large investments IN building
watts aud other Improvements. believing the tax
would remain ms Congress fixed II under the last
act. and who would not have invested their CAPT.
tai IN this business il they had believed Tor SIN
gle moment the tax To be increased TO 81 per
barrel. What reliance can these people have in
your faith legislators. it you thus keep contin-
ually changing your laws year after YEAR, Should
there not be in all laws affecting the great inter
ests OF manufacturers, some stability, some hrm
ness, some purpose. 80 that parties may know
what to expect when they commence operations
There were on the LIST of June, lo60, 400
breweres; there were ,l73, $40 barrels OF malt
liquor brewed. amounting in value TO the sum OF
S6.343 90. Wisconsin has the largest number
of breseries, l2l. making ia $50 barrels of
malt liquors. valued NJ SOP ol2 Ohio with %
breweries makes 400 OBS barrels, with valua
ton of Sl,yl24l9 Illinois with 10 breweres
makes 2lo.u43 barrels, valued at 81 1863 $50
Indiana with 80 breweries makes &c ,33S barrels
valued AT 1928 l6; while at the same time she
made 6 1855, 500 gallons of whisky highwine>
alcohol. "A "A |
venture TO assert that more venue was collected
by the act OF March 3 1863. on malt liquors Tor
the same period, than was collected under the act
OF July l. 1862. when duty WAS 5 per barrel
In 1862. duty hops repealed. and
brewers licenses increased to thieepence barrel
In 1904 duty on malt fixed four shllings
five pence per bushel. 1t was reduced from time
TO time until 1893, when it was fixed at two shil
lings pence In 1929. at the time of the
Russian war, il was raised to four shillings
when the quantity charged with duty Immediate
ly fell off 600 900 bushels, and in the following
year 5000 900 bushels In 1857 Government
found it necessary to reduce duty. and fixed 1t at
two shiilngs seven pence per bu>hel, and five per
cent. on the tax. at which il remains.
The result of that reduction has been n large
increase in the consumption. which has averaged
1914 $50 quarters or ~ 5l4 500 bushels ter an
mum for the four years from le5S to 1862 nclu
sNe, producing about 2JUuU bttreiS Oi beer an
nually. English malt averages about Al pounds
to the bushel, aud American malt about "a
pounds Allowing one-h,l bushe of English
malt to the barrel of sc gallons (the quantity
used) the English tax is equivalent TO 633i cents
per barrel of 81 gallons On the continent. in
Germany. where immense quantities of malt
liquors are brewed, the duties are much less than
in England. In Prussia the tax is about 90 cents
a barrel. In Baden "a cents. In Hesse Darn
stadt % cents In Rhine, Bavaria or Paatnate
the brewers pay small license to compete with
the cheap wines of the country, but no tax is
imposed on malt or beer The laboring classes
in the West. particularly Germans. use beer a n
beverage largely, but very few sprituous liquors
at all. The TOTAL valuation OF malt liquors
brewed in the Western States according TO the
census Of 1860 was So .343 ,070, and | have no
doubt il has doubled since that time
The amendment was voted down by the Re.
publicans. only Democrats voting in its favor