The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-13
Plan by Which Back Fees May Be
Collected and Future Fees
Reduced.
BREWERIEs READY TO SETTLE.
If Governor Dockery's Efforts Sue
ceed, the Feared Def
icit Will Be Wiped
Out.
BY A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

| BY STAFF CORRESPONDENT
| Jefferson City. Mo-. March 12.-Governor
| Dockery has succeeded In adjusting the in
terests concerned in the beer inspection
law and it may safely be announced that
the present law. imposing an inspection fee
| Of 3Sla cents BARREL will be repealed and
instead law imposing an inspection fec Of
20 cents a barrel Will be enacted. bills to
this effect having been introduced in both
branches of the Assembly tonight. Another
Dill authorizing the Governor to settle all
ices accruing under the present law at the
| rate of 10 cents barrel was also intro
| duced. This will turn into the State Treas
ury $4,000, enough to cover the deficit in
| appropriations
For the last week Governor Dockery has
been confronted with serious question re-
gardlnS the revenues of the State. The
House appropriation bill for eleemosynary
institutions exceeded the revenues about
100000. The Senate increased the House bill
about sl45.0Ga The Senate Conference Com
mittee insisted on the increases on the plea
That the revenue from the beer law would
De more than sufficient to meet the amount
since the Supreme Court declared the
beer inspection law constitutional represent
atlVeS OF the brewerieS have been asking
y
sively announced in The Republic last Nom
DAY Judge II. S. Priest, counsel for the
breweries before the Supreme Court in the
Bixman case. was in consultation with Gov
ernor Dockery and Judge w. H. Williams
OF Boonvi!le. the counsel for the State
propositions and cOunter-propositions were
made. but no agreement was reached. So
far as the Governor was concerned the case
might be carried to the Supreme Court.
Hold a Conference.
A. q. Stuever Of the st. Louis Brewery
Association. accompanied by Judge H. $.
Ing. During the morning Governor Dock
cry held a conference with about thirty
members of the House and Senate. There
Attorney General E. C. Crow. State Treas
urer r. p. Williams and Judge Williams,
who has advised Governor Dockery through
first submitted the proposition that in con-
sideration of their not appealing from the de-
cision of the State Supreme Court new
law imposing tax Of 10 cents barrel be
marked that he did not care to thus apollo
gize for the decision of the Supreme Court.
He would not listen to the proposition.
In effect. the Governor said: I'VE need
the revenue right now. Unless we get
money from what is now due the State. ne
gotiations will be Off. I have figured that
the breweries in the Supreme Court, fee
of 10 cents a barrel on all beer manu-
factured and sold since September 20. 1899,
money will have to be paid into the State
Treasury before any other proposition can
be considered"
Finally. the brewery interests agreed to
this proposition, but asked that the in
spection fee be made 10 cents in the fu-
ture. This would give the State about
the Bixman case, The leaders in the con-
ference. as weu as Governor Dockery,
thought that this amount was too small.
and insisted that 1t be raised to 20 cents
a barrel. The brewery interests would not
listen to this suggestion at the morning
conference. Governor Dockery would not
made that the whisky inspection bill be in
with the beer inspection bill. The
Governor did not believe in coupling the
two together realizing that more oppo-
sition would be encountered.
Little Hope of an Agreement.
During the noon hour the outlook for an
agreement being reached was dark. Gov
ernor Dockery realized that he had no lien
on the back fees, but he had it in his |
power to ask for a supercedeas from the |
United States Supreme Court, which, II
and infiicting the back penalties for viola
tons. This would be large amount Also,
II the penalties were collected. the school
fund and not the general revenue fund |
would get the money.
At o'clock another conference was held, |
E,arris, Haynes and Fields: Representatives
Hawkins. Hamilton. Tapley, |
Dickinson. Whitecotton, Stewart and Matt |
retary Of State Sam B. Cook, Attorney Gen
eral E. C. Crow and Judge Williams For
the next hour and q half the matter was
,sna eat on the and fn cents no
IN inspection fee of 20 cents barrel; The
from the brewery; who
inally agreed to the latter figure. Cover.
lor Dockery gave them to understand o., tha1 at
would not sign MT the tha ol reasry Tns, ,rs Mr.
stuever gave his word that this would
% done.
,tor Morton introduced two bills which had
,een prepared by Judge Williams. one Oh
hem is simply re-enactment OF tne pres
mt beer inspection Law, but REDUCES luce sronsed ,ne
much interest and permits the Governor to
.eceiye the back fees on the basis Of the
O-cent settlement. The bill Is as tono"s'
Text OF the Measure.
Section l. The Governor of the State is hereby
and to under tse ess
sa5s a' may fees
ion Of beer which accrued ,S or Ysnt shall aci5a nae
1oT state Mrrh 70 s s the
barrel for each and every barrel ,s OF sooe
seIlSnn a M isss and PROPORTION
quantity sold iSst for use neraa and e0nsup-
he ef Of this s,a.e act Ans,, and
sSi the the sum therein stated upon beer sold for
in this sas S, BY sy.don h Or shsm and
iereby relieved from all hnss fn, n,aes sad
ations Of the provisions Of said act prior to
his date are hereby barred: provided. however.
hat this act shall not pp apply 70 any prosefu s Gu
ion which may he now pending IN any OF the
Sec. B. Nothing herein contained shall be so
construed az to interfere with or relieve any
,arty of any penalty incurred from any tuture
ioations Of said act.
Sec. 4. Emergency clauseo
Governor Feels Hopeful.
Governor Dockery said tonight that the
wo bills would pass both branches of the
General Assembly He said this despite the
act that Democratic caucus Of the House,
,eld Immediately after the afternoon ad-
ournment, decided against reduction Of
he inspection fee by vote of AZ to 2S.
Hamilton of Daviess was the spokesman
on and Representative Stewart followed
IN the same side. Among those who spoke
lgainst the proposed reduction were Clay
# Audrain. Nicholson, kendrick, Phillips.
Barrett and Eversole.
After the caucus much talk was heard OF
mother. when the matter will be gone over
gain.
Those on the inside claim that the op-
position to the reduction are composed OF
opponents to Stueyer. Conkling OF Carroll
9 an exception, as he voted for the reduc-
ion. AS the bill cannot come up for ac-
ion in either branch of the Assembly be-
ore Thursday, Governor Dockery expects
o have matters Strengthened out by that
ime.
1.-THE Assembly cannot afford to let this
nance of securing the revenue slip said