Evening star., 1902-01-28
BREWING INTERESTS HEARD.
Repeal of the War Revenue Tax on
Beer Urged.

After The Stars report of the ways and
means committees hearing ~on war tax re-
ductions closed yesterday, the representa-
tives of the brewing industry We're heard,
including n. w. Kendall of New Haven,
Conn, president of the United States Brew
ers' Association; George j. Obermann, Bal
timore chairman Of the committee on fed
eral relations of that association; Rudolph
Brand Chicago, former president, and
Robert Grain, Baltimore, of the board of
trustees Many members of the House also
attended the hearing. Representative Bar
tholdt of st. Louis introduced the speak
erS.
President Kendall recalled the assurances
that mad been given when the war taxes
were imposed; that they were for war pur-
poses and would terminate with the war
He compared the rate placed on beer with
that imposed by Great Britain as an Incl
dent to the Boer war, showing the Ameri-
can rate to be much higher.
There was no trust in the brewing trade
he declared, and if large fortunes had been
made in the business it was before the
Spanish war.
He referred to three men engaged in
the iron industry reaping an annual profit
Of sixty million dollars from their bust
ness" The breweries had paid to the gov
ernment in 1900 $73, $50, 754, and he said
their profits were either wiped out entirely
reduced to a pittance. In conclusion, Mr..
Kendall said:
1.-The trustees of the United States Brew
ers Association express the sentiments of
the entire American brewing industry when
they state that the war tax upon our prod
uct, being the highest and most destructive
tax ever imposed, here or elsewhere, upon
an article of domestic production and do
mestic consumption, should have been the
first to be wholly repealed; and that now, In
it's distressing condition, the American
brewing trade has no hope of relief except
that which rests upon your sense Of JUS
tice and your willingness to redeem a
pledge and promise repeatedly and solemn
ly made by your honorable committee"
Chairman Payne stated in reference to
Mr.. Kendall's appeal that Congress keep
the promises of repeal heretofore made,
that Congress and the committee had kent
ahead of their promises. The trouble had
been that the requirements of the govern
ment had largely increased. The reduc-
tions in war taxes last year, Mr.. PAYNE
said, had gone as far as the government
conditions seemed to justify. Now the corn
mitree would further consider what afjdi
tional reductions were justified.
Mr.. Obermann spoke of the numerous fail
ures in the brewing world. The industry
was thoroughly American, with American
labor at high wages, but he declared II
was not treated like other American indus
tries.
Mr. Brand of Chicago referred to the
enormous surplus glutting the treasury, and
forInance of the promises heretofore made
that the war tax would be repealed. He
maintained that malt liquor was food and
not q luxury, and that its use in place of
spirits made it an effective agency for tenn
perance.
Mr. Grain of Baltimore emphasized the
fact that malt liquor was the one article
on which the price never advanced to the
consumer, i've cents being the maximum
per glass. He said the present tax was