The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-09
BOTTLES GETTING SCARCE.
Soda Water Manufacturers Adopt
New Rules With the Dealers.

| So0a Water Manufacturers Adopt
New Rules With the Dealers.
A new departure has been inaugurated
by the soda water manufacturers. which.
while it apparently raises the price Of soda
water, as a matter OF fact, operates to
cheaper the article, and gives retailers a
margin of y cents more on the dozen then
they had before.
1t is all question of bottles. Heretofore
the soda water manufacturer furnished a
box or soda water, containing two
dozen bottles, at 70 cents. In the
transaction no account was taken
Of the bottles. If the manufacturer got his
bottles back he had TO pay for them, but it
came to be a question of bottle scarcity
with the manufacturers. and they had to
pool their Interests to prevent a bottle
famine. They now charge 81 box for two
dozen bottles OF soda, which is an advance
or % cents on the box, or 12Is cents on the
dozen; but the retailer is to be allowed Is
cents dozen on bottles returned, SO that 10
reduces the price Of soda water to IS cents
dozen.
This system has long been in vogue in
northern cities, and the retailers say that
they will hereafter charge 10 cents a bottle
Tor soda when it is taken from the store.
and when the bottle is returned rebate of
cents ID made. the extra charge being
iAouo tnore 10 insure Tue return or the bottle
than for a profit.
I'VE have lost not hundreds, but thou
sands of bottles" said a manufacturer yes
terday, land 1t was necessary to adopt some
system whereby we can reasonably expect
70 oDvlate the necessity of buying more
bottles that are required for the business
The beer dealers have been making the
same complaints, and it is expected that
they Will soon adopt some such arrange
aear. 4.
mace. Inc complaint is made by rival
companies that different brand of beer is
sometimes put in bottle labeled with an
other brand, and the compulsory return of
the bottles to the bother, it is believed, will
prevent such work if it has been practiced.
by charging cents for the empty soda
water BOTTLE" said a West Broad street
retailer, 1t will insurei the return of the
bottle, but none OF us were willing to in
augurate such step. 1t would hurt our
trade, but the action or the manufacturers
mas compelled all of us to charge for the
bottle, as, il we do not we have to account
for them, and the loss of few bottles
would take ali the profit off. Most of the
soda water is drunk on the premises, but
occasionally we send out bottles.n
There is great deal of the soda waters
and ginger ales that we never get any pay
for, said retailer. "They are furnished
Ike the seltzer, appolinariS and aerated
waters, with stronger drinks that are paid
for, and soda water is only sold over the
bar to men who are total abstinence men,
or to those who have had enough aud who
insist on drinking something and are given
soda water"
The retail price of soda water depends
largely upon the place one buys it. Most
OF the "toney" saloons charge 10 cents a
bottle for 1t. but south of Broughton street
only 5 cents is demanded, aud then the
margin of profit is good, for, as it costs but
30 cents and is sold at 60 cents. the price
over first figures is nearly doubled. At the
bars the soda water sold is said to about
pay the original expense, about one-half of
the soda water being set out free with
whlskles. The new method adopted by the
soda water manufacturers will affect only
the groceries with bars attached, as the
regular saloons have no customers who
order the soda water to their homes. and
from the regular saloons the boxes are
usually returned with the empty bottles.