The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-07
AN ICE AND BEER WAR ON.
GEORGIA BREWING ASSOCIATION
CUTS 40 CENTS A KEG.

Reduction Brought About by the Saw
annah Ice Delivery Company
Which Owns "A Controlling Inter-
est in the AssOciation-AU Because
the Savannah Brewing Company
Refused to Stop Delivering Ice to
It's Patrons-Further Reductions
on Both Ice and Beer Expected.
There seems to be little doubt that an
other ice and beer war has been started
in Savannah. Savannahians we'll remem-
Der the war of two years ago between the
ice companies and the breweries, when
beer and ice went down together below
the point where there was any profit in
either.
This time, however, the ice companies
have control of one of the breweries, the
Georgia Brewing Association, having
bought up a majority of the stock, as
was announced in the Morning News some
days ago, and it is the ice people who
have started the little racket, so to speak.
The whole trouble started over the fact
that the Savannah Ice Delivery Company
or the ice monopoly here, desires to stop
the selling of ice to customers by the
Savannah Brewing Company, and that
company does not propose to stop. The
Savannah Brewing Company has been fur
nlshing ice to its patrons only, the dealers
who sell its beer, at 10 cents per 100
pounds. This company has just recently
put in new ffty-ton ice plant, and has
been able since then to supply its custom
ers with all the ice they need at that fig
ure
Recently the com bined ice concerns made
a proposition to the Savannah Brewing
Company to the effect that it should stop
furnishing ice to its customers altogether;
that it should make so much ice a day and
turn 1t over to the Savannah Ice Delivery
company and that ice should be furnish
ed these patrons of the Savannah Brewing
Company by the ice company. This the
Savannah Brewing Company refused TO
accede TO- and thereby hangs the tale.
The ice people then through their con-
troll of the Georgia Brewing Association.
reduced the price of beer, after a meet
ing OF the associations directors yester-
Gay, to Sl.0O a key, making a cut of 40
cents from the regular price which has
been maintained all along. Mr.. George
Meyer manager of the association, was
seen by representative of the Morning
News about the situation.
Mr.. Meyer was not inclined to say any
thing for publication. He admitted that
such a reduction had been made Sin some
cases as he put II, but beyond that he
would not talk for publication.
Manager W. w. Starr of the Savannah
Brewing Company, when asked about the
matter, said he could only say at present
that the ice people had made his company
proposition which 1t could not consist
entity agree to, namely that it should stop
the delivery of ice to it's patrons and turn
the entire ice business over to the ice
companies. This, he says, the Savannah
Brewing Company refused to do, because
the ice companies being interested in the
Georgia Brewing Association, it would af-
ford too much room for discrimination
against the patrons of the Savannah
Brewing Company. Mr.. Starr said he
could not tell just what his company
would do. He said there would be no
cutting on their part for the present, and
1t has not been decided yet just what viii
be done.
There is no doubt, however, that the
war is on in earnest. The ice people ap-
pear to have started in TO freeze out eve
everybody else in that line of business,
and now that they have control of the
Georgia Brewing Association, the Savan-
nah Brewing Company is practically the
only competitor they have left. This COM
pany, however, has never intended to COM
pete in the ice business, its only intention
being, Mr.. Starr says, to supply it's pat
rons with what ice they need, and 1t is
for that purpose they keep well-eqUip-
ped ice plant.
1t is altogether probable that beer will
go down, and ice too. There was a re-
port that ice would drop to cents per
hundred pounds if the thing kept up. This,
however, could not be confirmed.
The Anheuser-B Busch Brewing Company,
which has a branch depot here, may cut
some figure in the fight. When the re-
duction was made by the Georgia Brew
ing Association. Manager Dahl wired his
company in st. Louis asking what course
he should pursue in the matter. He re-
ceived a reply instructing him not to an
tagonize home industries, and to take no
part in the fight, unless an attack was
first made on him.
The policy of the Anheuser-B Busch Com
pany will be. he says, to put its product
on the market on it's merit, as it has al
ways done, and TO take no part in the
cutting of prices. In the event of a drop
in prices all arond 1t is probable, how
ever, that the Anheuser- Busch Company
will come down to meet them and keep
up its share of the business. This COM
pany, however, takes no share in the ice
business, and with its independent policy
it win probably remain on the outside of
the fight altogether.