The San Francisco call., 1896-01-10
LOCAL BREWERS SCARED.
Have Called a Sudden Halt on
the Threatened Cut-Rate
Beer War.
THE DRIVERS ARE ORGANIZING
The Internal Troubles May Be Patched
Up So as to Combat Labor
UnioniSm.

The local brewers have become thor
oughly alarmed at what they have done
toward precipitating a cut-throat beer
war and are now discussing plans TO re-
unite their scattering and various interests
in the Brewers Protective Association,
which came so near going to pieces at the
stormy meeting last Friday. a new dan
ger or, to be more correct, two new dan
gers have appeared. As these come from
a source outside of the association they
appear all the more formidable.
1t is the old skeleton of organized labor
that Is again rattling in the brewers
closet.
The fight among the brewers themselves
promised TO be a merry one. 1t was started
by the California and Broadway breweries
cutting the price of steam beer from So,
the standard price adopted by the asso-
citation, to 81 and SO so per barrel. At least
such was the finding of the investigation
committee. and the latter recommended
that the association make grand cut in
prices in order TO discipline the offending
brewers and to teach lesson TO all others
who might be inclined TO cut that they
had better be q little cautious before do
ing so.
Upon this subject the brewers were di-
vided, and this division almost split the
association wide open, Judging from the
statements OF several who were present.
Such a course would cause every brewer TO
get out and work for him self, no matter
who suffered. The members OF the asso-
citation wraulled until dinhertime, and
left the meeting without taking action
upon the matter. Since the meeting the
brewers have been seriously discussing the
subject among themselves, and the pro-
prietors OF the smaller brewerieS began to
feel a suspicion OF the larger brewers, who
Were so eager to start the cut and crush
out the offenders.
The argument was used that, while
crushing out the offenders in j free fight,
many OF the others would also 90 to the
wall. For all this conservatism there was
still enough of the fighting element left
in the association, especially among the
big brewers and the syndicate, represent
ing five breweries, to make the break.
While these matters were being dis
cussed the brewers old enemy-organized
laboT-appeared again and called halt in
the progress of the internal troubles. 1t is
not the Brewery Workmen'S Union, for
the brewers have an idea of that organiZa-
tion's strength and power.
The scare was caused by the brewery
beer wagon drivers aud their helpers and
week or two these men have been holding
secret meetings, the drivers and the
helpers Tor the purpose OF forming a new
organization and demanding better wages
What the foremen are holding meetings
for has not been learned, but it is believed
that they want TO get themselves in a
position to demand the right TO hire the
men who work under them. At present
men Objectionable to the foremen are
frequently put to work in order to please
the bosses without regard 10 their quaIf-
cations and ability. This has always been
a thorn in the side of the foremen, who
have as a rule preferred TO have competent
union brewery workingmen under their
charge.
1t is the proposed drivers organization
that is causing the greatest alarm. Four
Saars ago the drivers ana helpers be-
longed to the Brewery Workmen's Union.
The drivers then received 500 per month
and the helpers $50 per month. When the
trouble between the brewers and the work
men broke out, the drivers and helpers de-
serted the union at the rate of twenty-five
and fifty at a meeting and stood by the
brewers. For their ndelity they have been
rewarded in a left-handed manner. While
the drivers wages have remained practi-
cally the same because of the RESPONSE
bility of the positions and the large
amounts of money the drivers have to
$50 a month, their wages have dwindled
down TO $40 and $l2 week.
The bosses have not dared to cut the
drivers wages for another reason. In the
event of a driver refusing to accept the re-
duction, he could leave and 60 into the scr
vice of another brewer, and all his patrons
would go with him. With the helpers,
there was no loss of customers to fear, ana
any stout young man could be easily
broken in TO I'LL the place vacated by a
helper who,would leave his Job.
There Is, however, a feeling of brother
hood between the drivers and their help
ers. and both have considered with a
keen regret that the latter are being
crowded to the wall in the matter OF wages
AS soon as the present strife broke out
in the ranks OF the brewers the drivers and
helpers evidently recognized that now is
q good opportunity TO make a stand for
better wages-the wages of four years ago
If possible. To this end they have been
holding small meetings and in great
secrecy during the past ten days or two
weeks. The object was to discuss WAYS
and means and form a plan whereby the
entire calling can spring into an organiza-
tlon before the brewers have a chance to
take steps to nip the project in the bud
However, some one in order to curry favor
let the cat out of the bag, and the animal
was regarded as sucn a formidable black
Slea1uiC 'laV IHc oicMelo Meie dIdi ineu
lest it cross their path and bring them
bad luck.
This and the secret meetings of the fore
men, the objects of which are not fully
understood, are what have caused a halt
in the hostilities in the Brewers Protective
Association camp. Now many who few
days ago were talking fight and advocating
q cut in the price of beer are earnestly dis
cussing the advisability of burying the
hatchet for the time being and standin cr
shoulder to shoulder against what they re-
gard as common enemy-organized
Ia bor.
1t is not at all unlikely that at the next
meeting they will manage to patch up a
sort OF peace.