The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-03

FPROHI WAVE
| IS REACTING
So Declare Brewers In
Convention.
MODEL LIQUOR LAW CITED
Professional Advocates Of Anti
Saloon League Scored.
The Brewers Declare These Men Have
0vershot the Marx and Thst
Their Statements Are Gross
" Exaggerated.
MODEL LIQUOR LAW CITED

Atlantic City, N. j., June z.--Deci2r-
ing that the professional advocates
OF the anti-saloon league have over
shot the mark and that heir state
ments are grossly exagge ated where
they are not purposely misleading"
\ the board Of trustees OF the United
States Brewery Association, which OPP
ened its forty-ninth annual convention
at the Hotel sheibourn here today:
went on record With the additional
declaration that the so-calied .prohibi-
| ton wave" has reached Its height and
that reaction 10 already beginning TO
set In"
These statements were contained In
the annual report OF the trustees which
was placed before the convention along
with the reports OF number OF come
mittees.
"The political character Of the agi-.
tation in some States the report says.
has become apparent and there 10
disposition on the part OF the moft
thoughtful and responsible journals to
discuss the drink question In q sane
and conservative manner. The real
leaders OF the best thought Of the
country are coming to realize that
there IL q safe middle ground upon
which all reasonable people can stand
| and we believe that the brewing trade
gradually IL establishing itself In the
confidence OF such people and that be-
|
support
The report goes extensively into the
local option agitation. reviewing the
work done by the several committees
OF the association In meeting the pro-
hibition sentiment. The best condi.
TONS the report says. are to be found
In States where legislation has been
wise and fair and calls attention to
| the Pennsyivania law a. one Of the
best IN the country.
Touching upon national legislation.
the report stated that 1t is to be re-
GREETED that ~ each recurring session
| OF Congress, there IL an increase IN
the number OF members who seek 20
destroy the liquor business BY Fed.
eraI legislation.
The Trustees say that the beer sales
Of the year ending June 90, 1908,
\ showed an increase Of s2se.7se. which
they say IL remark able. ccusiAerinR
year were the largest In the history
Of tbs tfade. The nine nlonkhs ffc,n
June. 1908. to April. 1903. the trustees
say. show decrease OF 92.be0, sol as
compared with the same nine months
10 the previous year. THE returns
from our individual members" the
trustees say. indicate that the de-
crease in States like PennsyIvania.
New York and New Jersey which have
practically no dry territory has been
as large In proportion as the decrease
In the States that by area are very
largely dry"
About 500 delegates were present
when Julius Liebmann. OF New York.
| president OF the association, called the
meeting 20 order and delivered hts
annual address.
The members OF the association are
said to control two-thirds OF the beer
| output In the Omitted States.
One of the features OF the first day
OF the Brewers Convention was the
public meeting tsnight at which the
principal speaker was Rev. John p. Pc
tiers. chairman OF the COMMITTEES OF
fourteen. which is investigating the
liquor question In New York. Ali the
speakers at the public meeting advo-
Gated the wiping out Of saloons that
are not conducted according to law,
and. better enforcement OF reasonable
and fair liquor Jaws.
In discussing the cause OF the prohi-
billion movement. the Rev Mr.. Petera
told the members OF tho Brewers AS
| ISOLATION that the liquor dealers them
selves were partly responsible for the
agitation, In that they had not always
conducted their business properly.
Speaking especially of conditions IN
New York City. he said the brewers by
their methods of transacting business.
mad shouldered the responsibility for
political corruption and other evils and
Haunted In the faces OF the people the
fact that they did so.
Taking up the question OF bad liquor
laws. Mr.. Peters said:
Amy effort on the part Of the brew
ers toward better conditions Is rendered
difdcult In New York. and that. think.
10 true in general In the country at
large. by the hodge-poge OF our
liquor laws. In general. am inclined
to believe that the best methods OF
dealing with the liquor problem Is q
system OF licensing and that the IL
censes should be high licenses In order
TO secure a better control OF the busl-
ness. But that system can readily be
abused. In New York city you have
one of the best examples OF the abuse
of high license, its use as means OF
extortinK money from the traffic with
out rendering any return In the way
of police supervision"