The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-08-04
BEER QUIZ IS ON
HERoooTuS, PLATO AND CAESAR
MENTIONED As DRINKERS
OF THE AMBER FLUID.
ONLY WATER AT HEARING
Or. Wiley, voieins Protest, Says He's
Tired Of Buying "Foam."-Hear-
ing Before Board Of Food and
Drug inspection.

Washington, ID. G. - Entering the
names of Herodotus, Caesar. Plato
and other ancients as earnest drink
ers OF beer, barley growers and brew
gan testimony before the board of
food and drug inspection to determine
the long-disputed question: what is
beer?'
DIR. Harvey w. Wiley. chief chemist.
who heads the board, shared honors
with the ancient convivialists by an
nouncing early that his chief COM
plant was that too little beer was
found in the ordinary glass Of COM
merce sold to the thirsty.
Il am tired of buying foam." said
the pure food expert, Indignantly.
There should be q line on the glass
es indicating where solid beer ends"
DIR. Wiley looked thirstily at the
pitcher on the speakers table. It con-
tanned only water. There were no
amber liquid samples at the hearing.
Substitutes Alleged.
John F. Mauff. representing the Ma
donal Consumers League and the
Wisconsin board of the American So
ciety of Equity, argued that most peo-
pie we're under the impression that
all beer was made of barley malt. hops
and water. when in reality inferior
grains, or chemical preservatives,"
were substituted. He asserted that
the brewers could lose nothing by la.
belling their product and that the
consumer soon would indicate his
preference for the various kinds of
beer manufactured.
The United States Brewers associ-
alton. represented at the hearing by
a committee. offered a statement an
swering various questions as to the
manufacture of beer and suggesting
that beers were substantially alike
and needed no labelling to differen.
tate them.
Mr.. Mauff told the board that Egypt
still holds the record for continuous
beer drinking. having quaffed the IL
quor for 5000 years. He exploited the
merits OF beer but charged that the
public did not get enough for its
money.
Small" and Large" Used.
He referred to the fact that the
consumer when sold pint" or a
on brewers invoices as a small or
a large" and that since the Spanish.
American war the ''five-quarts-to-a-
gallon measure" had never been
changed.
II was at this juncture that DIR. WI
ley thought well of the suggestion
and expressed himself concerning the
excess of foam.
The brewers declared that the gov.
ernment's eye supervises the manu-
facture of beer through the United
States internal revenue act. Further
more, they suggested that inasmuch as
the principal difference In beers was
in the densities before and after fer.
mentation. there would seem to be
10 reason for compulsory adoption of
specific labelling"
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" book
beer" ale. porter. stout and malt ex.
tracts.
Claimed Consumers Deceived.
II 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 beverages are not
think them.
This Is the second in the list OF
great issues on the beverage question
which the federal government has
brought up in connection with the
pure food law. The farmers of the
country desire to know whether the
representations made by the brewers
that beer is made from barley malt.
hops and yeast. is a correct statement,
or whether substitutes are employed
instead of barley.
Among those who attended repre-
senting the barley producers Of the
country were the following Minnesota
barley growers: NJ. Johnson and
G. Byholt Of Rushford; w. w. WIKI.
If Lake City; August Schultz and NJ.
T. Kinney. of Wabasha, and C. f.
Radabrough. Of Zumbro Falls. There
were also present farmers from Wis
oonsin and other barley growing
states.
The interests Of barley growers are
being looked after by Representative
Anderson Of the First district of Min
Eesota, upon whose suggestion the
farmers came here to be heard before
the department officials at the hear.
ing which is being given the brewers.
DAILY MARKET REPORT.