The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-19
The Domestic Crop Il Very Short and
the German Crop Is i'm the
Same Condition.
CAMPAIGN OF sCHLITz PEOPLE
1T Is BEING WATCHED BY THE
INDIANAPOLIS BREWERS.
May Not at This Time Invade the
Downtown District-Attitude Of
Saloon Keepers.

Indianapolis brewers who are worrying
about the invasion of the local field by
the Schlitz company are also giving some
anxious moments to the hop and barley
markets. The prices of these products Is
not a subject that temporizes with the
fears Of outside invasion, but rather is one
of concern for the business of next year.
The hop crop is short-really a case of
short hops. The beermakers get their sup
ply from California and from Germany
The domestic crop is woefully short this
year. and the German crop is in the same
condition. Indianapolis breweries use about
100000 pounds of hops each year. This
year domestic hops cost IA cents a pound,
and the price now on account of the short
age has risen to 30 cents. Imported hops
cost As to 55 cents this year, and next year
they will be 10 cents higher. This will make
a big increase in this item alone. Chevalier
barley has been in bad condition for two
seasons. The price this year will be no
less than last year-70 cents a bushel. At
this rate malt will be worth so cents a
bushel. Two years ago. when the hop crop
was available in its practical entirety for
brewing, the price was from so to IS cents.
There was a large barley crop this year,
but much of 1t was too inferior for brewing
use.
THE SCHLITZ CAMPAIGN.
The local brewers are awaiting the prog
ress of the Schlitz campaign. 1t is under
stood the Schlitz company has options on
about twenty saloons, many Of them In
West Indianapolis and Haughville. Some
of the brewers were surprised because the
Schlitz people had invested in Fourth ward
property, as the Anti-saloon League has
a blanket remonstrance in that ward which,
II sustained by Judge Allen In the Circuit
Court, will be used in an attempt to drive
all the saloons out of the ward.
Saloon keepers do not view a war among
the brewing interests with JOY. They say
ii cost them quite a struggle to bring the
home breweries TO a realization of the evil
of creating dependent saloons, and that
just they are getting free from that
evil-the local brewers and agents agreed
some time ago to discontinue the purchase
establish it, Others say the Schlitz COM
pany cannot be stopped If ii wants to fol-
low this course, and that probably there
will be room enough for all.
Ii Is not believed the Schitz people in
tend to invade the downtown districts, at
least for the present The local brewers
abandoned investing In saloon sites COM
petitively for two reasons-one because the
practice created an expanded valuation OF
the sites and caused unreasonable invest
ments and another because they could not
get a responsible class of men TO become
dependent saloon keepers who merely acted
as agents for the brewery on a salary
Some breweries picked up worthless meu
and installed them in business and brough,
on dangerous consequences, as the prosecu.
tions of the Anti-liquor League showed
They fear a renewal of this practice will
open the door for further victories by the
anti-saloon element.