The San Francisco call., 1896-04-28
IMPENDING BEER WAR,
A Serious Question Raised Over
the Reading of a
Letter.
Cost of Malt and Other Matters Cause
a Lack of Harmony in the
Association.

1t was the intention of the Brewery
Workmens Union to begin hostilities
against the Brewers Protective Associa-
ton at once, but ON the strength of infor-
nation that reached Secretary Walters of
the union, the fight was deferred until he
can make further inquiry relative to the
letter sent to the latter body.
With view of settling the old brewery
troubles of four years. standing, he sent
letter to the association on the Goth inst,
asking that committee be appointed to
meet committee from the union. Last
Saturday he called upon Secretary Mohr
of the association and was told that the
letter was simply put on file without dis
cusslon or comment.
The union upon learning of this consid-
cred that the boss brewers intended to be
discourteous-in other words to give the
union slap in the face. Then there was
declaration OF renewed war.
Yesterday Secretary Walters learned
from more than one source that the letter
had never been read to the brewers when
they held their meeting on Friday. He
has reasons to believe that it was not
an unintentional oversight or accident,
but that there was some unexplained mo-
tive for the letter being filed. With view
of learning the exact attitude of the asso-
cation toward the union it was decided
uOG tO D6RlH Gue OlU u4nC again until 1t is
learned that an BILE settlement is i'm
possible. Walters is all the more con-
vinced that there was some mistake, be-
cause he has had the personal assurance
of large number of the mem Ders of the
association that they were not unfriendly
to the union and would indorse the ap-
pointment of conference committee.
Walters will start out to-day and visit
these brewers upon the matter of the
letter and why it was tabled. The union
will also send similar letters to eyery
brewer in the City asking that he advocate
in the meeting settlement of the differ
ences by conference committees. He be-
lieves that this can be done, particularly
as the union only asks for recognition and
not higher wages or shorter hours for the
workmen.
This matter has caused no little aglta-
ton among the brewers themselves, for
they realize that a fight with the union.
supported by the other trades unions of
the City, would cause beer-rate war. In
the first place there are several breweries
outside of the City whose own
take advantage of a boycott to
send their product to this City. One
is the Buffalo Brewery OF Sacramento,
which is union brewery, all it's EN- ployes
being members of Branch of the local
unicn. Vallejo, Alameda and Oakland
dlSO WOulQ otHu uhlOi bCCl W Odu ran
cisco. Some of them are sending beer to
this City now; the Sacramento and Vallejo
breweries. and Eastern union beer would
find q llvelier sale in this market in the
event of fight.
The association bosses, however, fear
that some of their own members would
kick over the traces so to speak, notwith-
standing the big cash bonds all the mem
bers are under. From all that can
be learned the best of feeling
and confidence does not exist among
the members for several reasons.
One is that several brewers have been
heavily fined for breaking their obliga-
tons to the ASSOCIATION by trying to take
away the patrons of other brewers. Sew
eral of the fines for this and other
offenses have reached as high as S1OO,
which were paid.
Another cause for dissati sfaction has it's
root planted in the question of unionism.
The commercial malthouses, the Empire,
Pioneer, South Park and New York. only
pay their workmen from $40 to $14a week,
while most of the brewers who make their
own malt pay their men from SIS to
$40 and some 500 week. In
consequence of cheap labor the malt
houses sell malt to the Anchor, st.
Louis, Bavaria, California, American,
Union, Broadway, Enterprise, Milwaukee
and Columbia breweries, 25 to 30 cents
cheaper per 100 pounds than the other
breweries can produce it. This gives a
profit of from 25 to 80 cents per barrel to
those who patronize the malt houses.
This inequality in profits in an association
that is recognized as pool has caused
much discomfort.
Those who make their own malt are en-
ploying union men and to make reduc-
ton in their wages would start q strike
and a bitter trades-union fight, which
would simply open the door to outside
competition and a game OF cut throat in
the way of beer war.
The disaffecred members say that by a
general recognition of the union the cost
of production would be equalized and
trades-union and cheap beer war avoided.