The San Francisco call., 1895-12-20
A BEER WAR At HAND,
California and Broadway Brew
ers Accused of Cutting
Prices.
BREAKS IN THE ASSOCIATION.
Fears Entertained That the Rupture
May Cause a Scramble for
Business.
BREAKS IN THE ASSOCIATION.

From the present indications there is
local brewers. Charges have been made
that the California Brewery on Douglas
and Seventeenth streets, and the Broad
way Brewery on Broadway, near Mason
street, have kicked over the Protective
Association traces, and started out to sell
beer on the quiet on their own hook.
By several it is claimed that the break is
from $5 to So 80 on barrel on six months
contracts, and by others that it is only so
cents on a barrel. At any rate there is
trouble in the brewers camp.
The seeds of discomfort were sown when
the San Francisco Breweries' corporation
(limited) purchased all of the principal
or larger brewerles in this part of the
State. Those brewers who did not have a
chance to sell to the syndicate were not
well pleased. SO it is learned, although
they did not say much about their pique,
Then came the trouble with the Brewery
Workmen's Union that has lasted for the
past three years and still exists. This re-
suited in the employment OF large num-
ber OF non-union men and an openly ex-
pressed disregard for the union.
The boycott upon all beer made by nom
union men began to tell and it resulted iE
the formation of the Brewers Protective
Association, in which all the brewery own
ers, including the syndicate. became mem.
bers. In order that the effect of boycott
should not be felt by any boycotted brew
cry they pooled their interests, each brew
cry receiving from the association its pro
rata OF the proceeds of the sale OF beer.
This is based on the highest output of beer
at the time the com bine was formed. OF
course this combine exists only among
the breweries outside of the syndicate
breWerieS.
At the last reorganization of the pool in
October it is said that certain breweries
believed they were entitled to a larger per-
centage of the profits, based upon their
larger output. Of these, according to the
story in circulation among a number of
brewers, was the California Brewery and
the Broadway Brewery. However, the
matter was Strengthened out so far as sur
face indications went, but not so beneath
the surface.
" ithin the past three or four weeks
charges have been made that these two
breweries jumped the association tracks
and began to sell on the quiet at reduced
rates. These rates, as stated by people
who claim to know, were from So to So so
per barrel, and one-half for half-barrels.
1t did not take very long for these cuts to
become known at headquarters, and
charges were made to this effect against
the offending managers OF the breweries
named. What the effect of this break will
be can only be surmised. Some prophesy
that by the first of the year the break in
the combine will be complete. Others
state that the difficulty is of a trifiing
nature and will be settled without much
trouble or in the least endangering the
association.
Among these is Charles B. Stone, the
manager of the San Francisco Breweries
Qimited). He says that it is only little
tempest in a teapot. He says that the
charges against the California and Broad
way breweries were that they had only
made cut of so cents on a barrel in order
to work up a little larger private trade.
He says that these charges, which are
being looked into at the present, do not
disturb the managers of the association in
the least, and that he, for one of those in
terested, pays SO little concern about the
affair that he is going to leave town on
two weeks vacation.
Mr.. Stone, in explaining the facts of an
alleged boycott in Seattle, as published by
an evening paper, said:
There has been no boycott at Seattle upon
the beer of the San Francisco breweries. Our
cgent there got the idea into his head that
Seattle breweries and the labor unions there
were boycotting our beer because OF the men
we employ. l told him to protect our interests
in that city and he made cut in price from $7
to So per barrel. This made the Seattle brewers
feel so bad that they agreed to publish the fact
that the boycott troubles had been settled,
when, as stated, there was no boycott. Our
output is 10000 barrels OF beer month, and
OF this not over 200 goes to Seattle. So you
see if we doubled the trade there or lost all of
it the matter would not cause US any uneasi-
ness or anxiety.