Washington sentinel., 1900-12-22

The president OF lNs lulltl HlbLNn LhLt.W
| ers' Association Mr.. Rudolf Brand or Chl'
Cag0, Ill.,, I'm an Interview with Post re-
porter last night, said; ,.... ,,,,.
"Iu conjunction with my associates mere
| In Washington, representing the brewing
| Industry throughout the United STATES !
| can only express surprise and dsappOlnt-
! mCuC at the conclusion arrived az by the
| Ways and Means Committee In their report
| TO Congress, In which they recommend suGh
| the majority Of the other Industries taxed
| under the war measure have received Ihe
| committees recommendation for the total
| elimination OF the taxes lmpo'eu upon
them by the Spanish war. . .,,,,
| PRESIDENT MKlNLEH' MESSAGE.
owe very naturally deducted from ilesl-
| dent MckIulOy's IS message to Congress, In
| which hp said relative To- war taxes: i re
| commend that the Congress at its present
| sSs-iDn reduce the internnlrpyeuue taxes
| imposed to meet the expenses IN the war
| with Spain I'm the sum of S3OOOOOOO. Ihls
| sion VI those taxes which experience has
| shown to Doe the most burieusome to the
! Industries or me people, ItuL tue lLgMlns
| Industry, which has suffered more IMAM an.
| other industry would be the first 10 be re-
! Iuyod, and We based our claims upon the
| actual figures we presented TO the ways
! and Means Committee, demonstrating CON
| clu-Ivuly thu losses we have sustained un-
| der the grinding oppressive double war tax
| OF 81 per barrel, or 80 per cent OF the en-
! tire market value OF our product.
! again call attention to the following
| Nays and Means Committee:
| CIVIL WAR TAXES NEVER REMOVED.
/ ''ILI- LH Only one nlA' OH I4lF hllNnllDllf bAL
! lt ls the one which shows the pgrnlclous
effects OF a most unjust tax In the most
| gluTing lighr ana appeals 70 Qlhet sehIl'
stract I'm our opinion, Dc should not, how
ever. require such appeals iu order 70 Drlng
about the Immediate repeal of the entire
war talk. There was no equitable JusIlncn-
tIun for II uJ the time OF lis imposition,
because The brewing industry bad up 20
th1t time unutgrrupteIIy paid the old war
tax OF Sl per Darrell while alb other man
putiOus embraced ln the original revenue
system as organized between the years
lsGl.lell have not paid q single dollar mo
the Federal Treasury since the termination
OF IIu civil war. and do not now contribute
one penny toward the Federal revenue.
"Is DC unfair on uupatriOtlc to ask why
one American Industry, consuming almost
exclusively those highly protected Ameti.
cam products which are source OF wealth
t1 tie American farmer should pay dou.
Bile war tax amounting To- 40 per cent OF
the market value of its product while aI
other American Industries remain untaNedf
Ir wll not be deemed TO be Presulfmp Ia,ous,
We trust, if we ask what justification there
was for imposing or what good reason
a barrel of beer costing 80, i'm the face Of
the fact that at time lthirty-aYe years
SD. a Republican Administration and a
tornII fTrf q f1T of 81 was fully up TO the
revenue standard and should not pc IN
creascd.'" Osce report of the Special Rev
enuo Commission for 1SGjG6, p. 20
'M q MAINTAIN Iunl N1AlIAhA JAaNANN A-lA
peralyely demands the immediate repeqt
Of the additional war tax upon matt
liquors. In the entire WarreEehue ncL OF
1sgs there is NOT single tax Item, except
Ing our own, that Is unjust or inequltahle
I'm Itself noue excepting the Deer tax tnaI
has caused, or ls likely To cause, vide
spread Industrial ruin; none, again with
the same exception, tAat must De DoIue
by comparalygiy small number 1I tSdso GIsL
numerous and immensely wealthy indus.
tries which, while protected by wise taFlu
laws, contribute not single dollar 70 Lht
internal revenue, and, finally, none that
must ultimately affect such large masses OF
",fhe most striking evidence OF the cor.
rcctness Of our contention as To- the me,
qualify and Injustice qf the present tax AK, rate
celuts from Internal revenue reached the
highest point, viz, salJyDaJ.t, the llFSc
royonuc Items which haye .nilifiI rGmfineqf sfpda lG
the civil war. only yielded 500, l-oStt OF
which the sum Of S3l3,ltO was eGigT5 GigTEeI yea
barrel. The remainder, amounting TO SUI
TIElOT came from sources OF revenue, the
tioncI m the act which Imposed upon our
product an additional war tax Of 81
FAILJkES DI-lt,,\G lSg5 l,.,,. 4Np NI, Iygo HrInd
"tnat during the fiscal year ended June go
1900, no less than 80 previously successtuI
altogether. their failure directly attributa
bic 10 the double war tax. These hgures
can be easily verified by the records OF the
department OF Internal revenue. In addi
tl0u TO the actual failures very many OF
our best establishments have been forced
many more will be forced to follow I'm their
footsteps unless We have immedlate relief
BREWERS NOT ENACTING.
1--WE are not eXactng. ON the contrary
the brewers are extremely patrlOtci the
fact Of our bearing the orglna! war tax OF
81 per barrel, or 20 per cent OF the market
value Of our product, for thirty seven years
without reduction, proves thtt. Ihe Iur-
ther fact Of our uEcomplainlngy accepting
O. IL. .rHI. % uU ].
per cent Of our product since ls9s, 70 pro
vide revenue 20 conduct our war WIN
INT now that war d. over, and we cry aloud
for relief from a burden that Il crushing
FAITH IN CONGRESS.
1--WE have faith fin Congress. we believe
that the IustIce-slmply the common Jus
gress I'm vain. We only ask for fair treat
mpuC and % chance 70 i've IN times or
pence In times Of war or any other dis
frS.s mat our country may suffer from, the
Government win always ind us ready, II
necessary, 20 make any sacrifice called
O''ss'r STATEMENT FROM MR.. BUSCH.
Mr.. Adophus Busch, the president OF the
Auhousor-Busch Brewing Association, OF
from Europe Before leaving Tor home last
night. Mr.. Busch talked at length on the
II should have remained In Europe an
other month";" said Mr.. Busch, had II not
the double war tax now being levied by the
Government on our industry.
"Its enactment has proven terrible
hardship, and its continuance means gen
eral disaster to the brewing interests.
"Ihe original tax OF 81 barrel was IN
itself a war tuN, imposed In ls6l ana con
tluucd without any reduction up to the
declaration Of hOStiltigs with spain, Wheu
it was increased To- 81 per barrel, Just dOu-
Bile the original tax, which means precisely
40 per cent OF the general market price Oh
SWhen the original war tax Of 81 a bar
rel was iuauguratcd, thirty nine years ago,
beer was being sold for SIS per barrel To-
day beer BIS being sold al an average of 20
per barrel, and We pay 81 per barrel 70 the
GAs "a direct result Of this excessively un-
fair burden Of taxation, the production OF
beer decreased 100000 barrels during the
year 1899, a year OF unprecedented ana
marvellous prosperity, and within the past
seven months seventeen comnlnaLlons nave
been made, consisting each OF from three
90 twelve formerly prosperous DreWerles
forced 20 tlus combine pm oIuet 20 saw
themselves from bankruptcy through TINS
distressing and oppressive double war tax
More are likely TO follow, or suspend bus
lupzs altogether, unless immediate relief Is
"n1ring the past year the production Of
beer has materially increased hut what
good does lt do the brcwer2 None! A few
very few-huve had a trihing proht, but
6f ali or else continue business at a dls-
| tlnCt loss, hoping and praying for the re-
| peal of this grinding double war tax W.
| TAKE my own brewery, for instance We
brcwed a million barrels OF beer this year,
| an iuprp0 $50 Of 10000 since $500, but with
| what profts2 Merely nominal. Why2 Be
| cause we have to keep the quality Of beer
| up 20 the standard established by us ana
| pay the Government 50 per barrel ON each
| i1rrel hrowcd. This leaves the balance,
| s8 per barrel 90 pay for hops, malt, bar
| ley, brewing horses. feed, wagons, brew
/ ers, help. drivers, deliveries, cNpressage,
/ coal Ic6. invested caplral-ln fact, every
1 appreciation, losses, and wear anu
"Ihera Is no chance Tor the brewers un-
/ less this double tax ls reduced TO 81 per
| barrel. The present tax ia a terrible bur