The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-02-15
s4.Ooo.ooO 10000. 900

-. .-.........
Buildings -. 100000 11s.ooO.OOo
Machinery, tools and
implements 5o,0Oo,oOo 76.ooO.Ooo
Cash and sun.
dries ....... 100000 1660oO.O00
| This shows that in the ten years
from 1890 to 1900 the brewers spent
Afty-hve million dollars for buildings,
and twengsix million dollars for ma
chinery and tools. How much larger
the latter amount is cannot be said.
for the twenty.six millions represent
only the value of machinery. tools and
implements preserveds and existing.
and, consequently. figuring as capital,
but not the wear and tear and the
things wholly used and consumed. But
even as values stated they surely fall
short of the reality. because the fig
ures are taken from tax assessment
lists, or are mere estimates and GER
tainIy do not represent actual cost.
In the half decade from 1900 to 1906
the increase OF capital was proportion
ately little greater than in the de-
cade from 1890 to 1900. and thus 1T
can be seen that in the fifteen years
from 1890 to 1905 the breweries assist
ed the building. machine and tool In
dustries alone to the amount of near
" two hundred million dollars.
But the principal benefit from the
brewing Of beer accrues to our agri-
culture. The American people con-
sumo an enormous quantity Of corn
and barley in the shape of beer. The
ingredients consumed in producing a
barrel of beer are in the average fifty
pounds OF malt, twelve pounds of corn
and one pound of hops. This, with
present annual production Of nearly
sixty million barrels of beer. shows an
annual consumption OF seyenty-five
million bushels OF malt, seven hundred
and twenty million pounds of corn
GENERALLY in manufactured forms, as
grits. flakes. etc.) and sixty million
pounds Of hops.
A bushel OF malt weighs from thirty
four to forty pounds, according to
quality. and is. in measure about
equal to a busheI of barley. A bushel
of corn weighs about fifty.fve pounds.
Figuring. onI present average prices,
corn seyenty-fve cents, malt barley.
whicii4s barley of high quality, 81
per bushel, and hops thirteen cents
per pound there is an annual con-
sumption Of about nInety-fve million
dollars worth of American farm pro-
ducts by The brewers. not speaking
of what is consumed in their st8s
of the magic wand were to destroy
1t ALL" says the aforementioned maya
zine writer, the (the statistical fig
ures) show how great would be the
direct loss-and If you will bear them
in mind and think for a moment of
the channels through which this vast
industry Is sustained. they will help
: you understand how widespread would
be the disturbance. There is scarcely
line OF activity that would not feel
the upheavul."
Leaving the distilling Of spirits
aside. there is no industry which d.
rectly contributes more to the cost Of
our government than the brewing in
dustry.
The government taxes beer with 81
per barrel, and derives now a revenue
of about ;6o.oOO,ooo from the brewer
les, besides which they pay, Of course.
their property tax to the States and
municipalities, and in some cases spe-
cial license tax besides.
In the face of the frenzied endeav-
ors of prejudiced Temperance agitators
to picture beer as the arch enemy of
mankind as a sure bringer Of disease
and death, this growth is quite slgnifi-
cant. 1t shows that, unless legislation
assumes an aspect bordering on insan-
ity, beer will become the national
popular drink of the American people,
and that the moral force OF the temper
ance movement cannot prevent it. In
deed, it is question whether 1T does
not contribute towards 1t. At any
rate, it is evident that the people, with
the progress of civilization and the
improvement of manners and customs.
gradually turn from the strong alco-
holic drinks to the light ones. In
great measure that is due to the ex-
cellence Of American beer in appear
ance, taste and quality. 1t is quite