The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-01
SOLVE QUESTION
 NWHAT IS BE:ER?" Dr. Wiley and Experts Are
 Investigating TIRED BUYING FOAM" Barley Growers and Brewers From Throughout Country Will Testify.
 Claimed Much Beer Is a Chemical Substitute

Washington, July 31.-Entering the liuustrious names of Herodotus, Caesar,
 Plato and other ancients as earnest drinkers of beer, barley growers and brewers from throughout the country
 today began testimony before the board
 of food and drug inspection to deter mine the disputed question what is beer?"
 | pr. Harvey W. Wiley, chief chemist, who heads the board, shared honors with the ancient convivialists by an-
 nouncing early that his chief complaint was that too little beer was found in
 the ordinary glass of commerce sold to thirsty.
 Pm tired of buying foam" said the pure food expert, indignantly There should be a line on glasses in- dicating where solid beer ends.' Dr. Wiley looked thirstily on the pitcher that adorned the speakers table. It contained only water. There were no amber liquid samples at the hearing to-
 day.
 John R. Mauff, representing the Ma tional Consumers league, and the Wis consin board of the American Society
 of Equity, argued that most people were under the impression that all
 Der was made of barley malt, hops and water, when in reality inferior grains or chemical preservaties" were sub stituted. He asserted that the brewers could lose nothing by labelling their products and that the consumer soon would indicate his preference for the
 various kinds of beer manufactured. The United States Brewers associa-
 ton, represented at the hearing by a committee, offered statement answer. | iner tp
 facture of beer and suggesting that beers were substantially alike and need
 ed labelling to differentiate them.
 MT. Mauff told the board that Egypt
 still holds the record for continuous
 beer drinking, having quaffed the liquor
 for 5000 years.
 He exploited the merits of beer but
 charged that the public did not get
 enough for its money. He referred to
 the fact that the consumer, when sold a
 pint" or a "quart" in reality was given
 what is known on brewers invoices as "small' or a large" and that since the Spanish-American war the five" quarts to a gallon measure never had been changed
 The hearing will be resumed tomorrow. Having long ago settled the vexed problem of what is whiskey," the agri- cultural department board of food and drug inspection headed by the redoubt- able Harvey Wiley today undertook 10 determine what is beer" Manufacturers of beer and other malt beverages and barley raisers from all over the country are here attending the hearing conducted by the board, and as many others have sent their views by mail.
 The object of the boards inquiry is to bring malt liquors within the scope of the pure food and drug act and to
 determine just what shall and what
 shall not be contained in liquids sold under the labels lager beer,' ale, DOT ter, stout and malt extracts. The board has propounded se- ries of questions as to the ingredients, fermenting, coloring. carbonating, etc. The application of foreign names to do- mestic products also is to be inquired into.
 Barely raisers and malsters are re- sponsible for this effort to determine what is beer" The consumers Ma tional League of Chicago and the Society of Equity, the latter composed largely
 of farmers, are aiding in the movement. It is claimed that much of the beer sold in this country is made of corn or rice. and that some of the malt ex-
 tracts and other bevera ges are not what
 their names lead consumeres to think them.