The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-21
PRICE OF BEER AT STAKE.
nREwERIEs' ADVANCE OF 81 MAY
START a BOYCOTT.

EetaiI liquor Dealers viii Organ
fze an Association This Afternoon
to Make Dcmands-TwO Advances
on Beer and One on lee More Than
They Can stand-WiIIinE to Pay
Half the Increased Tax, But IL All
Oft Is Charged to Them They VIII
Go Elsewhere for Beer.
The Retail Liquor Dealers Association
will be reorganized this afternoon. This
REORGANIZATION will be had for the purpose
OF making a fight on the Savannah brew
cries. if they refuse to make a reduction
in the price of beer.
A day or two ago the breweries sent
out to their patrons a circular which be-
gan in this way: owing to an increase
in the revenue stamps of 81 per barrel on
beer. and in view of the fact that brewing
4 materials are from % to 100 per cent
higher than. last year, this company is
compeled to raise the price of its prod
& uct."
Accordingly, beginning with yesterday
the retail dealers were charged 80 a keg
for beer, whereas they have been paying
q S175 heretofore. This is the second in
crease Of 25 cents per key within the last
few weeks, and, coupled with the increase
3 from 10 to % cents per 100 pounds for ice,
d it is a little more than the saloonkeepers
= feel that they ought to stand at this
\ time.
4 They did not enter decided objections to
{ the first increase, nor did they kick very
4 hard when ice went up, but the chances
are that they viii now object not only to
\ the second Increase in the price of beer,
a but also to the increase on ice.
The retail liquor dealers will hold
meeting ats o'clock this afternoon at Win
Il ter's Music Hail. on Broughton street for
/ the purpose of organizing and preparing
TO make their demands on the breWeries.
{ Ii win be a revival Mr.. Winter says, of
the Old Retail Liquor Dealers Association,
& which died out some time ago for want of
4 interest Now that the retailers have some
7 thing to interest them, they will come to-
gether again.
4 "The trouble is just this" Mr.. Winter
8 said last night. THE government put
4 tax of IS cents barrel extra on the
DIeweries. 1t did not put that tax on the
Il Retailers, and we do not feel that We
q should be forced to pay it, This Is the
a second increase within a short time and
& with the increase in the price of ice also
Z the burden has been made quite a heavy
one. We want 10 give a working man
a decent glass of beer for cents, but
3 with increase after increase, there will be
+ litlle or no profit in it for US. Neither
8 can we longer supply families who use
8 5 or 10 cents worth of beer a a meal
The retailers however, are willing to
= stand their share of the tax. We do not
think it right that the breweries should
charge us 81 a barrel additional, when the
extra tax Is only 50 cents. 1 am satisfied
& that the retailers will be willing to pay
4 one-haf of the actual tax provided the
Ereweries pay the other half, but further
than that they will not go. I think that
proposition will perhaps be made by the
retailers to the breweries here, and if it
is refused, We will simply go elsewhere
for our beer. / always want TO patronlze
4 home industries, but I do not think We
should be gouged. There win be about
$50 retailers in the associa ton, and l am
confident they will all feel like asserting
their rights In this matter"
The breweries have not been heard from
ON this latest move. but they will prob
ably have something to say after this af-
A ternoOn's meeting.