Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-01-24
MAGNITUDE or
BREWING INDUSTRY
Writer Points Out Some Of the
Effects OF Prohi.
bition.

conception of the magnitude of the
brewing business and the important
factor 1t is today in the commercial
and industrial life of this country. 1t
is very doubtful If the average con.
servativc business man would for a
single instance encourage any move.
ment of any legislation that threatens
the destruction of the brewing indus.
try If he realized the disastrous blow
such action would be to the progress
and welfare of the business world at
large.
When people as whole are pros.
porous then is the time when "isms,' s.
fads and extreme ideas receive their
greatest encouragement or are good.
naturcdly or thoughtlessly allowed to
grow and flourish. Only after harm
had been done does calm Judgment
come to the surface to take in the
serious nature of the result.
Lately there has been a spirit Of
destruction passing over this country
under the guise of reform. In many
instances these reform movements
were justifable, but in others they
had their conception, because of
llagrant abuses, in individual cases,
and instead of attempting to cure
these abuses course Is pursued that
has for its object the total destruction
of everything directly or indirectly,
remotely or otherwise, connected with
the said abuse.
So 1t is in the case of brewing bust.
ness Because of reinforcement
of the administrative powers of com.
monwealth or community, low dives
are allowed to exist and thrive. BE.
cause some persons will abuse drink.
ing and turn themselves into drunken
sots, prohibition is advocated as a
curc-all. However, It is not the pur-
pose OF the writer to discuss prOhibi.
ton at this time, but to show to the
people at large what one result would
be If the country adopted prohibition
According to the United States cen
sue lNbOlN iOi lJNpb Nht 'uDlNui iuN'oN'
cd in this country's greatest indus,
tries are as follows:
Brewing and malt houses $685. $40, 99G
Iron and steel mills, blast
furnace, steel works, and
rolling mills .......... 93G, 1927, 1888
Cotton goods ........... 61S, 1lO,65t
Lumber and timber prod
ucts ............... 517,224, 12s
Flour and grist mill prod
ucts ................ 265 ,43i
Paper, etc. ............. 277,444,471
Agricultural implements. 196,7i0,70C
Strengthening and meat
packing ............. 219,SlS,627
The above comparative statement
Is cited in order to show the position
the brewing industry holds among the
most important commercial factors OF
the country. II stands today as the
third greatest industry, as far as CAPT
tai invested is concerned in the Unit
cd States. This table can be verified
by any skeptical person by sending fol-
Bulletin No. 81, Census of Manufac
lures, in 1905.
All person at all cOnversant with
business affairs knows that the capital
invested in the brewing business Is
done so permanently. The investment
has very little value unless the indus
try is in operation. II Is therefore
apparent that an investment of almost
$500 100000 Is at the mercy Of the
"so-called" temperance movement
What would be the effect II an indus
try of this magnitude were utterly de
prohibition were enforced? The dc
struction OF this one industry would
leave in its wake a trail of desolatior
in which the wrecks of score OF
more other industries, involving hun
dreds of more millions of dollars
would would be strewn. Among these
latter industries would be the cooper
age manufacture, the glass and bottle
factories ice machinery manufacture
the hop industry, the barley industry
the malt industry, brass and cooper
supply houses and manufacture, beer
bottling machinery manufactures and
many other industries directly and in
directly connected with the brewing
business.
1t can be readily seen that the de
struction would reach nearly u billion
dollars, and yet there are vast mum
Der of-apparently conservativelS
minded people who sit back and com
placently watch the spread of a move
ment that has for It's very object the
total destruction of so valuable al
, asset affecting the future continuation
of the progress and prosperity of {
nation.
Does any one for moment imagin,
that the financial condition of thii
country would remain unruffled dur
ing the wiping out of a billion.dolla
investment? Imagine the cutting of
at one blow the annual sale of $500,
100000 or more of manufacture,
products; in wiping out market 70
the sale of $zvJ 100000 worth of agrl
cultural and other raw products; il
forcing into the idleness hundreds o