Evening star., 1900-04-25
WANT THE TAX REDUCED
BREWERS APPEAR BEFORE THE
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
Complain That Production of Beer
That Much Loss Was Caused.

A large delegation representing the brew
ers of the United States appeared before
the ways and means committee today to
| urge the repeal of the extra 81 barrel
imposed on beer by the war revenue act.
The delegation was sent by the board of
trustees of the United States Brewers AS
sociation and included the president of the
| association Rudolph Brandt of Chicago
| the vice president N w. Kendall of New
Haven. and Messrs. Edward Ruhl of Bos-
ton. Peter Hanck. jr.. If Newark. e. G. s.
Miller and c. G. Pankow of Buffalo, ]. W.:
Brown oi brooklyn, i,Uber> Former OF
Washington and q. Thomann of New York,
members of the board of trustees. Repre-
sentatives Bartholdt of Missouri and Rup-
pert of New York. who have taken an ac-
tive interest in the legislation, also were
present.
Chairman Payne and Representatives Dali
zell. Dolllver, Fl piins, Tawney, Lane, Rich
ardson, Mcclellan, Swanson, Underwood
and Newlands heard the arguments, and by
frequent inquiries manifested their interest
in the subject.
President Brnndt's Statement.
President Brandt male the main presen-
tation, and in part said: Congress i'm
posed this additional war tax upon our
product in spite of the fact that fully two
thirds of the legitimate revenue sources of
the country, resortcd TO in 1862 and 1863,
remained wholly untaxed We paid this
eXorb!tant and unjust extra taxa tax rep
resenting 90 per cert of the price of our
prcduct-during two years; we paid it, cam
dioly speaking, under silent protest; we paid
II under industrial and commercial difficult
ties which brought to many of us utter
rum. TO some of us 4 serious impairment
of business prosperity, and to all of Us
such a measure of financial embarrassments
as no industry in the world has ever been
exposed to Dy The la -r1a kerS ts
country. The effect upon the whole trade
IS clearly demonstrated by the fact that
curing the pas; year, year of unprece-
deEted affuence in all branches of Ameri-
can commerce and industry-the production
of beer has decreased by one million bar
rels and this disastrous effect. the eco
nonic result of the double war tax is felt
not only by the brewers, by the growers
OF barley, of corn, and of hops, but also
by very many important industries which
depend almost exclusively upon brewing
ard particularly by the great mass of con-
sumers.'
$7O,OOO,OOO Tax.
In response to an inquiry from Mr.. Nc
Clellan, Mr.. Brandt said the tax on beer
amounted to s70,G00,OoO a year. by far the
largest tax collected on any article.
To questions from Chairman Payne and
Messrs Underwood and Newlands, Mr.
Brandt said that brewers had paid the
largest part of the tax, probably two
thirds. as they had not been able to have
consumers pay more than a third of the
tax If more had been paid by the con-
sumers there would have been diminished
sales. AS it was the sales fell off eco oo0
barrels; If the tax had been paid by the
consumer the di!ninution would have
reached 100000 or 100000.
Other members of the delegation smoke
briefly. The committee adjourned without
taking action, this and requests from
other interests will be considered later.