Washington sentinel., 1900-08-04
Moro Trouble for Brewers


Moro Trouble for Brewers
The United States War Depart
ment, in which is nov vested the
government Of Cuba, recently in
creased the tariff on beer imported
into the island "a cents a hecto-
liter, or from $500 to 81. This
increase, in connection with an
advance in the freight rates on
malt liquors shipped to Cuba frou'
AZ cents to y cents a hundred
pounds lately instituted by the
Southern steamship companies,
threatens to destroy the trade with
the island American brewers and
bottlers have been at such pains
TO build up.
1t is difficult to see upon what
grounds this renewed demand is
made upon the brewers-ce certainly
not because they are recipients Of
any special iaYors from the Repub-
lican party. The screws are again
put on, we suppose, merely to EN-
phasize the necessity Of support
ing the Republicans in the coming
elections or paying the penalty.
Will the brewers stand the threat?
The Day OF Reckoning has 90 me.
The Bye7ycyg' TouynaE of New
York, says: The comparative
statement Of the receipts and ex-
penditures Of the United States
Government tor the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1900. recently pub
lished by the Treasury Department
shows total receipts Of ss68,988,-
948 for the twelve months and ex-
penditures for the same period Of
S485759I7I. This leaves a sur
plus OF S8G, G,229,777, or S4T,aa9,777
more than the estimate furnished
to Congress by the Secretary of the
Treasury, or upwards of double
the amount that was regarded as
large enough 10 warrant a demand
Tor a reduction of the war taxes.
The receipts Tor the year from in
ternal revenue sources amounted
to S296,299,388, an increase Of
Sac 500 227 as compared with last
year. In the face Of these figures,
she Chairman Of the Committee on
Ways and Means Of the House OF
Representatives announces that no
special meeting Of the committee,
as provided for in the resolution
by which that body was empow.
cred to sit during the Congres.
sional recess, will be held until
soUe time in November, subse
quent 10 the Presidential election.
This is obviously tantamount to an
announcement to the brewing and
kindred industries that any iavors
they may look for from the Re-
publican party will be contingent
upon the fidelity with which they
support that party's interests
during the approaching political !
campaign. The repeal or reduc- |
tion OF the exorbitant tax on malt !
liquors, LEVIED to defray the ex-
penses OF a war terminated nearly !
two years ago, is in other words to |
be governed by this contingency, |
which is equivalent TO a declara-
ton that the Administration does
not consider itselfunder any moral |
obligation to afford the brewers |
the reliei to which they were long |
ago justly entitled, and for which |
they have so earnestly prayed. |
The continued imposition Of the
tax in the face OF this vast surplus
shows just how mnch regard the
statesmen at Washington have for
the interests Of their constituents
and the welfare ola great industry.
The day Of reckoning may come
when the brewing and allied inter-
ests will be in a position, with the
aid Of a perfected system Of State
ORGANIZATIONS, TO present a united
front to its enem es and oppressors. |
Coupon Agents Fight Mckinley.
There is a new force in the polit.
ical field that is working for Bryan
and against the trusts, which in
1896 was almost solid for McKin.
lev. In this new force there are
fourteen thousand active, intelli-
gent and aggressive men. They
are constantly in touch with the
public. They meet more people
in "a hours than any other class
~ rv,aa - tL. r-r.-t-.s ~7La.r ell. |