Washington sentinel., 1901-02-02
Beer, Tobacco and Temper
ance.

The report Of the Senate Fin.
anse Committee, further reducing
the tax on beer beyond the figures
set by the House bill, is commend
able, but it might have gone far
ther still and yet not have ex
posed the committee to the charge
OF oVer-liberality.
Compared with the reduction on
tobacco, which has had IS per
cent of its war tax stricken of,
while beer is only reduced 40 per
cent, the decrease recommended
by the bill will hardly be consid
cred an extravagant one. AS be-
tween beer and tobacco, if it were
necessary to split hairs there were
ample reasons why the benefit
should be gwen to the former,
When the tax was levied tobacco
was increased from 8 to IL cents a
pound, or so per cent. Beer was
raised from 81 to SI.ss net, or IS
per cent increase. Here was a
wide difference at the outstart.
Then again, when the War bill
was passed It provided for a reduc-
ton in the size OF the tobacco
package cor monty sold from two
20 one and three quarter ounces.
This opened way Tor the tobacco
manufacturers to saddle their
share Of the war tax on the con-
sumner. No such consideration
was extended to brewers, and the
result was that, with but few ex-
ceptions, the latter were compelled
to bear this burden themselves,
and they have done so up to the
present. The result OF such dis
elimination has been apparent tor
the past two years in the complete
stagnation, to use a mild term, in
the brewing business, the effects Ct
which have been told candidly and
plainly by the representatives OF
the Board OF Trustees Of the United
States Brewers Association in
arguments before the committees
OF Congress and in pamphlets is.
sued by them and distributed for
the information OF members.
The tax on tobacco, it is said, is
essentially tax on the poor. That
is true, and its repeal is therefore
a step in the right direction.
II the beer tax is not also tax on
the poor, it is due solely to the
fact that brewers evincsd a full
and fair appreciation OF their
duties towards the Government in
dts necessities and of the burdens
under which the laboring man was
already staggering, and voluntar.
lily assumed the obligations i'm
posed under this act. When other
industries or individuals have dis
played a spirit Of this kind it has
hitherto been designated as patriot
ism, deserving OF emula ion, and
worthy Of first and fullest recog-
milton when legislative reliei is to
be granted.
We have no objection to the re-
duction on tobacco except in so
far as It works an injustice to
brewers. A reduction oi 3 cents
pound or IS per cent Of the war
tax-is uncalled for when it is re-
called that tobacco manufacturers
did not pay the tax and will not
give the user the benefit OF the
decrease. It will amount merely
to a gift Of nearly 50, 200, 900 to the
tobacco manufacturer, and we hold
that it would be better for Con-
Rress to use this amount in reliev-
ing the taxpayer OF some of the
hardships imposed by the Spanish
War than to vote the surplus away
in lsrgesses to those who had no
part in creating it, whose business
was not hampered and has not
suffered by the collection of it, and
whose product is regarded as a
luxury for those who use it. AS
between luxuries and necessities
the tax should be retained on the
lu1Sur'
Atwo cent reduction on tobacco
the saving to be added to the beei