, 1874-03-15

cept to protest against it by his vote.
THE PRICE OF BEER.
! We believe that the cultivation Of the taste to
lager-beer 50 q substitute for the fiery alcoholic
beverages used by the drinking portion Of tt.
community is one OF the best possible move
ments in the cause Of temperance. If the com
! pounds 1etailed at the bars in this city, unde1
the nauuea OF whisky, brandy, and gin. and ovot
as wine, were analyzed, tbs wonder would MOI
be that men are poisoned by the use Of liquor
| but that tho number thus poisoned is not ten,
fold greater than it is. While we do rot advise
any teetotaller to use bser, We think il
would be happy circumstance il the
consumption OF the latter were doubled
and that of alcoholic drinks diminished one half.
When beer shall become the pational beverage,
there will be an immense reduction, not only OF
the number Of drunSards, but Of those whose
By the poisonous adulterations now sold In
saloons.
There has been for several weeks q wsrm con-
troversy going on between the brewers and the
| saloonists oyer the price Of beer. Hereto
fore the brewers have charged $40 per barrel,
but recently they advanced the price to s12, on
account Of the enhanced price OF barley and
hops. Against this the retailers united in pro-
test, and made defensive alliance. They Offer
ed to pay SO barrel and no more. After sew
erl weekB Of resolving and counter-resolying,
the Milwaukee brewers. for certain political
reasons, g 'caved, " and broke down the Chicago
combustion. Some Of the latter, indignant at
the bad faith OF the Milwaukee brewers, vent
one point lower and commenced selling st 80.
The question involved WAS ono Of considerable
importance to the persons engaged in the
and fer1nented liquors ia 81 Ia barrel. Tho re-
ceipts OF internal revenue from this source dur
ing the fiscal year 1928 we're So, o23 for
the whole country, which represents, Of course,
the same number Of barrels. The advance Of
50 barrel would have made difference of
nearly SIS, 900, 900. It waH therefore no insip-
nifcant matter over which thesa men we're quar-
refing.
But there is another party interested in the
fight, and that is the beer-coneumoq. Ever since
the Government resorted to tax on fermented
liquors there has been stendy increase in the
price Of the barrel, and as steady q decrease in
died that at this time the average mug contains
less than haH OF & pint, and the price is five
cents. It is claimed by the retailers TINT the
brewers make 81 barrel profit when they sell
the retailers make st that price: Each
barrel contains thi1ty-two gallons Of beer, which
gives 256 pints; thts retaled at cents per mug,
and tTo mugs to pint, produces q total Of |
1850 per barrel Deducting the cost, the net !
profit on each barrel is $3.50. Where there ID |
l brisk business, and where seyernl barrels are |
'old in day, there is little or no wasto, and tho
sales ire cash. Reducing the profit to SIS per
'azrel the rate OF profit is $50 per cent, and the
:apital required is very small Some of these
sell as many as dozen barrels
lay. The average capital. required ia e52 for
icensa $50 for months rent in advance
800 for furniture and $40 for beer. Selling one
arrel Of beer day would, in thirty days, give
'45o profit on s6l2 capital invested.
Now, the consumers pay this enoruoua profit,
I'D the CONSUMERS should initiate the action Of |
he retailers, and refuse to patronize any estab-
shment that does not give At least one-third of
quart Of clear beer for Ave cents. This would
,hve the retailers profit Of nearly e9.2o on
7ety barrel or nearly 100 per cent. The amount
: annual expenditure involved in this business
very great, and is on the increase. Assuming
Iat the brewers get $40 barrel, their gross re-
ipts amount to nearly $50. ooo. 900 year. The
tailers, upon the assumption that it ia sold in
parts Of the country At the aame price it Ia
ia in Chicago, receive III average Of s25 for
ch barrel, SIS Of which Is profit. Putting tho
hole consumption 1t 9,0o2, 900 barrels, tho con-
uers expeud in the aggregate s225, ,ooo, 600,
a1ch sum may be thus classified: Il
cwers profit. 8,o0ooco
s1Iefs' psonn 4So. .NJoVG
It must be said however, that tho retailers
lego and declare that, vhile the brewers pay
E&.k