The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-08
America Flooded with Poor Bottled
Lager. because We Have No Pure
Food and Drink Laws.
INTERVIEW WITH MR.. MASON
SAYS HE is DETERMINED TO SECURE
REMEDIAL LEGISLATION.
Glucose Trust Alleged to Have Threat-
ened to Ruin the Scnator-Prohfbi-
tiOnisis Scored by Brewers.

CHICAGO, June - When Senator Ma
sons pure-food investigation committee
makes its recommendations TO the United
States Senate regarding the establishment Of
a national pure-food law one Of the sug-
gestions will be in reference to the beer i'm
ported into this country. At to-day's session
of the committee, which is the last but one
to be held here, for the present at least,
the testimony was devoted principally to the
manufacture of beer and to whether not
the beverage as turned out by the breweries
of this country is In any way adulterated.
The testimony, which was given by repre-
sentatives of leading breweries of this city.
seemed to satisfy the committee, which was
made up of Senator Mason alone, that the
product in this country is not adulterated
and Is on the whole, as pure an article as
can be found among the drinks which are
classed as intoxicants. 1t developed, how
ever, that absence of laws regarding pure
food and drink in this country left an open
ing for other countries to ship their impure
goods here to he placed on the market for
consumption.
c. Herman Plautz. secretary of the United
Brewing Company, made a statement that
so far as ne was aware there were no brew
cries in this country which allow the use of
erage. He said he believed, however. that
every bottle of beer imported into this coun-
try contained some salicylc acid. Foreign
countries, the witness said, had laws regu-
lating the manufacture of beer, and pro-
hibited the of salicylic acid as a pre-
servative. There are no laws against manu-
facturers using this preservative in the
goods made for shipment to this country.
xyhn o-do rI-
ing the manufacture of beer in this country
were unanimous in the opinion that pre-
servatives or antiseptics would be useless
because of thoroughness of the present
methods of manufacture. Every drop of
liquor. whether of an inferior grade or not,
they said, is subjected during the process Of
pasteurization to 14O and $50 degrees Fahren-
heit. During this process every possible
germ is destroyed and there is no further
use for preservatives. THE process of pas
teurizng,' said Mr.. Plautz, preserves beer
as long as necessary. Probably If we were
to mako a beer to be shipped out of the
country, and especially to warm climates,
ii might be found necessary to use an extra
preseryative."
Previous testimony before the committee
has tended to show that the use of corn
rice and glucose as substitutes for malt and
barley in the manufacture of beer techni-
cally speaking, is adulteration of the prod
uct Witnesses to-day were of the opinion
that such was not the case. They claim the
article made Of a mixture of pure malt
pure barley and any of the alleged adulter-
ants is the only beer that can be sold. The
article, they stated that is made from malt
and barley is heavy and unpalatable, and
the public does not want il. Besides this
they said, the government has given per-
mission to the breweries to use the alleged
adulterants, which are claimed to be not in
furious to health, but, on the contrary
beneficial
All the witnesses expressed an earnest de-
sire for commission of the government to
look into the alleged adulteration of beer
reports of which. they claim. have preju-
diced many people and restricted the use
of the beverage.
Theodore Oehne. was the first beer expert
called to the stand. Although he knew of
no antiseptics being used at present, he
stated that several years ago it was the
practice to use a preservative in bottling
to drink. Since the Pasteurizing system has
become popular with brewers, he said, this
practice has been abandoned, and no pure
beer law would cause any fear among hon.
est brewers. 1t was his opinion. it would be
unwise for the government TO pass a law
compelling brewers TO use malt and hops ex-
clusively. as the people would not drink
pure beer, and as, in order to make light
er article, Ii was necessary TO substitute
some corn or rice.
Asked why there is difference in the
price of different kinds of beer made in this
country the witness said it was not because
of a cheaper way Of manufacturing of the
article. but because the cheaper materials
were used. All beer is made. he said, in ex-
actly the same way, and is subjected to the
same tests before going on the market.
Therefore. he could not see the advantage
of using preservatives when the process of
manufacture is sufficient 10 prevent what is
known as after fermentation, which is
caused by the germs developed in the yeast
used