The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-26

| NOW as 10 the dealer. Does he pay the
tax? He pays a part Of it, no doubt. but
! the brewers DO not succeed in collecting
| the whole amount Of the tax in any case :;
/ in many instances attempts to do 80 only
| result in augmented book accounts; in 9TH
! ers, compromises must be effected in order
/ TO hold trade. The dealer might pay a
/ larger proportion of the tax, if he were
not overburdened by State and local taxes
/ for the payment of which he must in a
! considerable measure depend upon the
/ brewer. The pressure arising from com
/ petition naturally operates along the lines
/ OF least resistance and hence, in both cises,
/ the smaller establishments are the great
est sufferers. All strive in some way or
! other to make ends meet and TO avoid ut
| ter ruin. All look forward hopefully to
! the redemption of your promise TO reduce
the war tax and in the meantime all
brewers, dealers, and consumers-are
heavy losers by reason of this tax
MIR. Brown. of Brooklyn.
Mr.. John W Brown. Of Brooklyn. n.
Y, a trustee Of the United States Brewers
| Association, said:
The effects of excessive taxation are 50
well known throughout the civilized world
that outside Of acadmenic discussions, an
argument upon the subject would almost
appear puerile. The sum of human eX-
7
axiom that taxation beyond a legitimate
revenue standard can have but one of two
effects, namely, it either defeats its own
object by melting to tax evasions on a
grand scale or, by enhancing the price, it
decreases the consumption Of the over
taxed commodity.
You know. gentlemen, and II you do
not know the Revenue Commissioner will
tell you. that evasions of the beer tax do
pF
impossible. the American brewer as his
tory amply testifies. would not perpetrate
them From the same official source we
learn however that the other effect OF
excessive taxation is painfully manifest A
decrease of 100000 barrels within one
year-and that year one Of uncommon
prosperity-canGot be accounted for in any
other way.
Now what will be the ultimate result,
so far as the drinking habits of the people
and the cause of temperance are concerned,
if with the present exceedingly low tax
upon ardent spirits, this exorbitant beer
tax should be continued for any length OF
time? The history of our own couptry-
not to speak of that Of many European
countries-furnishes an irrefutabe ans yer.
Wise tax laws favoring a broad dis
elimination in favor of fermented bever-
ages have within forty-seven years sue
ceeded in completely changing the drink
ing habits Of our people. Whereas forty
seven years ago we were unenviably con-
spicuous among civilized peoples as a ma
ton OF hard drinkers. we hold today the
foremost rank among temperate nations.
Reverse the conditions which brought
about this marvellous change and you in
evitably reverse the results. There is not
today a single European country where an
attempt to impose a comparatively higher
tax upon beer and light wines than upon
ardent spirits would not be considered an
objectionable mistake. In Belgium, in the
Netherlands. in all the Scandinavian coun-
tries In France and in Russia, the law
makers earnestly strive to minimize the
evils of intemperance by reducing the taxes
upon malt liquors 10 a minimum Swtzer-
land has its governmental alcohol monop
oily. supplemented by very high spirit
tax, but malt liquors are scarcely tax
ed at all. The Scandinavian countries have
their Gothenburg system. with its restTic-
lions as TO the sale OF spirits. but this sys-
TEN does not apply to malt liquors. In
France and Belgium and in the Neither
lands the tax lever is freely used to in
crease the consumption of malt liquors and
to decrease the use OF spirits.
In 1885 Gladstone was driven out Of Of
fee on account OF his proposition to in
supported by the British people, dwelt
with particular force and emphasis upon
the effect the proposed tax increase would
have had upon the cause of temperance
and the comfort and well-being OF the
workmen. 1t was argued that beer and
ale were the drinks of the common people
and that the Ministerial Bill proposed 10
put on them the expenses Of the Egyptian
war. That was quite sufficient to give
tn ha of C1f iC-
bury, and to change the political complex
ion OF the Government. Great Britain IS !
at present engaged in war requiring a
much greater amount Of money than We
expended in the Spanish American war, {
yet the TAX upon malt liquors. infinitely
lower than our beer tax, was increased by /.
few pennies only; while on the other
hand the British spirit tax exceeds the
American spirit tax by $40. The objects (
of this policy require neither explanation
nor commemnt; they are quite as much Of
moral as of a fiscal character and they
are universally understood and appreciated. /
IF any evidence OF the efficacy Of light .
wines and beers as promoters OF temper I
ance were required, I might quote oopi-
ously from recent official reports upon our
canteen system all showing with cUnvinc- /
ing force that wherever our soldiers can /
easily obtain these mild beverages drunk /
good order are improved. and the guard
houses and the hospitals stand unoccupied.
Under this system the mild Stimulants
take the place Of ardent spirits. and the .
result is such an amelioration Of the physi
cal and moral we'll being Of the troops as
no other single agency could possibly pro- 4
duce.
The tax rates which we're in force up
10 1885. produced the same results through
fra a lot
reversed these conditions and the final re-
suit, if the tax be continued cannot but
be reversal Of our achievements in the
direction Of true temperance.
We do not believe that any statesman,
having al heart the welfare Of his people
can afford 10 experiment any longer with
this serious and most important question,
now that the effects Of the tax, predicted
by US two years ago. are beginning to make
themselves felt in so palpabe a manner.
1t is for this and other reasons already
stated that We confidently rely upon your
sense Of justice for a speedy redemption of
the promise made by your honorable com
mittee in the report accompanying the War
Revenue bill"
Wr. Ruhrs Argument.
Edward RuhI. OF Boston, chairman OF the
vigilance committee, was the last speaker.
He said:
The principal reasons upon which the
United States Brewers Association base
their expectation that the beer tax will be
reduced to the former rate are the follow
Ing:
4 Because il was unjust to impose ad-
ltional burdens upon an industry that has
and uncomplainingly
borne the old war tax ever since its first
imposition fading the Government in de-
yising and maintaining means for its
prompt collection). while many legitimate