Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22
BRITISH BEER INDUSTRY.
Declining Production-A Difficult Prob
lem-"Depressing" Records.

Fom the London Brewers Gazette
The production of beer in the United
Kingdom. speaking on the authority of the
excise returns, is going from bad to worse.
The record for the first quarter of the cur
rent year is, without doubt. the most de-
pressing yet experienced, the total pro-
duction in the three kingdoms amounting
to only 1865, 293 barrels, as compared with
S,0T6. $50 barrels in the corresponding quar-
ter Of 1921. Here is a clear drop of 4)7. 572
barrels The diminution is apportiOned as
follows: England -. SD barrels; Scot
land. 1857 barrels; Ireland. 10. 753 barrels.
If the falling off in production continues at
the same rate through the three remain
ing quarters of the year by tho end of De-
cember a total diminution of considerably
more than Leo 0J0 barrels viii have taken
place. During 1904 the decrease was only
726041 barrels. This continuous decline
in the production of beer, and its constant
ly increasing ratio. cannot. we are afraid.
be entirely accounted for by the depression
in the general trade of the country.
Some if not all. of the factors which Mr..
Austen Chamberlain enumerated in his
budget speech must. we feel assured be
reckoned with in any attempt to explain
the shrinkage in beer production, and. con-
sequently. in beer consumption. Changed
modes of life are gradually Transforming
the habits of the people. Besides the more
prominent causes Indicated by the chan
celOr of the eXchequer. viz, the spread of
electric traction. the popularity of outdoor
, sports. thesters and music halls and the in
diligence in railway trips there are. we
suspect, other causes u check the growth
of beer drinking. We should not be sur
prised If the constant influx of the provin-
clal element into the large towns were
found to have a good deal to do with it,
for few deny that beer is more appropri-
ate beverage for men engaged in country
pursuits than for those employed in seden-
tary occupations II towns. Again, in the
villages and smaller towns particularly the
dlehnuSa OF tnr
which was not dreamed of, say, twenty
years ago: local life has Increased to a re-
markable extent, and institutes and club
rooms have been established, where con-
certs. debates and indoor games are EN-.
ployed as counter attraction to the tav-
ern. This. we suppose. may be regarded
as the direct fruit of the education move
ment which came into being thirty-five
years ago.
Even the most superficial observer will
| hardly gainsdy that the village publican
| has of late years many rival caterers for
| the rustic custom which was once exclu-
| sively his. Then, may not the huge clear
ances of licensed houses. alleged to be SUI
| perfluous, that have taken place of late
| years have helped to diminish beer drink
ing? If they have not, then the wisdom
OF passing laws to reduce the number of
| licensed establishments is proved to be
but folly. after all. 1t is truly a difficult
problem, In trying to solve which one may
easily fall into the error of generalizing
upon insufficient data. But IL the serious
decline which has oyertaken alcoholic Ha-
Gors can be shown to be directly attrib-
utahle to the Increased education of the
people and the expansion of their interests
the necessity for tinkering at the licensing
statutes or of passing Temperance" meas
ureS surely 40 longer exists. 1t was the
late Lord Salisbury's conviction that the
drink question would eventually be solved.
not by the laws of parliament. but by the
people themselves, and events seem 10 be
tustifying the tenacity with which ne
held II.