Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-27
BAD FOR BOTTLERS,
A Prominent Wholesaler Tells How
Their Business Will Be Killed
Under the New Law.
ON A LEVEL WITH THE BREWERS,
Who Can Put Up and Dispose of the
Same Amount of Beer With
Considerably Less Expense.
SIMILAR EFFECT ALL OVER THE STATE.
Other Branches Will Also Feel the Results of the
New Regulations


the Legislature and signed by Governor
on at least one branch of the busiIess. As
has been previously stated in The DIS
PATCH the new law goes into eject at once,
with the exception of the INCREASE required
in license fees. Judge Wilson, of Phila-
delphia, in decision rendered Thursday,
confirmed this view of tHe matter, and the
several provisions of thy act regulating the
sales of manufacturers, bottlers and whole
salers are in force at present. The decision
above mentioned puts this beyond
all question, and the large portion of Pitts
burg liquor dealers are now complying with
its provisions While the majority of the
liquor men are not feeling very friendly
toward the new law the bottlers are especi-
ally put out about it. From present indi-
cations they have ample reason to feel so,
for their business is very seriously crippled
and perhaps killed.
Knocking Out the Bother.
The trade of the bother, which he has
heretofore kept up to good profit, can now
be practically taken out of his hands by the
brewer. Under the new law the brewer and
bother are put on the same level
with regard to the sale of malt
or brewed liquors. Judge Wilson, after
specifying the provisions of the new act re-
lating to wholesale liquor dealers, says:
'Nor shall any brewer or bother sell less
than II pint bottles of brewed or malt
liquors" This is regarded as practically
the death blow to the bottling trade.
Charles P. Mugele, of C. p Mugele & Son,
well-known wholesale liquor dealers of
Fifth avenue, said last night:
"Under the new law the bottlers all over
the State are deprived of a large portion
of their business. Previous to this
time they could make good profit
at their business. The brewer could sell
nothing less than gallon of beer, while
the bother could sell any quantity down to
quart. The amended law, which under
stand takes effect at once, allows the brewer
not only to bottle but to sell the same
amount as the bother, the limit of the latter
having been raised to - pint bottles.
The Result Not Hard To See.
FIt is easy to see what will be the result
of this, continued Mr. Mugele. ''The ad-
vantage of the bother is lost and the brew
ers can practically take all their trade by
bottling their own goods. 1t will not pay
for a bother to purchase beer from
a brewer, bottle and sell it, when
the man who makes it can do the same and
avoid all the cost of handling and transpor-
tation. The bother, in thus attempting to
keep even with the brewer, would lose
money instead of making it. To all appear
ances this regulation will put an end TO
bottling as distinctive branch of the bust
11xrr
lize the bottlers' trade in beer, and there
will be little left for the latter"
Mr.. Mugele has made a careful study of
the liquor laws of the State, and is conf
dent of what he says. As a re-
suit, when next years applications for
license are made there will be very few
bottlers among them, except in cases where
the applicants are located long distances
from brewing establishments. Even in these
cases the fact that they can sell nothing less
than IL pints will make the business much
less profitable one than it was under former
regulations.
In the Same Boat as BottIers.
This has been already made manifest from
the fact that several wholesale liquor deal
ers have stopped selling beer. AS fa1 as the
12-pint bottle arrangement is concerned,
they are in the same boat as the
bottlers. The privilege of selling beer bv
the quart has been denied them BY the new
law, and they will have little demand for it.
Those who want to purchase more than six
quarts of beer usually prefer getting it
direct from the manufacturer. Quite a
number of wholesalers have already noticed
such falling off in their beer trade that
they have decided to discontinue it.. Their |
example will doubtless be followed bv 9TH
ers, and before many weeks very few
places can be found where beer
or malt liquors of any kind can be bought.