The Washington herald., 1915-10-15
Brewers ATTACK
EVILS OF SALOON
President Schmidt Tells As
sociation of Plans for
Radical Reforms.
Special to The Washington Herald.

| Special to The Washington Herald.
Springfield. Mass. Oct. 14.-The
United States Brewers Association
whose members are said to produce
more than 75 per cent of the malt
liquors in the United States. began its
fifty fifth annual convention here yes
| terday.
President Edward A. Schmidt, Of
! Philadelphia. in his address, declared
| that the brewers, as well as outside
reformers, are striving to correct the
evils of the saloon. and intimated that
some radical reforms might be expect
ed.
| He said. in part:
| I'VE have at last come to fairly gen.
cral agreement as to what constitutes
a good licensing system, and have
| established in our own minds certain
definite principles which should govern
the conduct of the retail trade Of
course. the local application of these
principles involves many perplexing
and complex problems. which will take
! time to work out. and will undoubted-
| ly involve some serious sacrifices.
| I'm this connection l want to be-
speak your active interest and co-ope-
| ration in the work of the Cooperative
Committee of the Licensed Trade En-
gagged in the Manufacture and Sale of
Alcoholic Liquors. which is endeavor-
ing to build up the local retail organi-
cations. so that every reputable man in
the saloon trade may be enrolled as a
member of his local organization. One
of the main objects of this movement
| is to bring the reputable men in the
retail business together, so that their
| opinions may be made potent in cor
| Irecting any of the abuses that have
Icrept into the business.
| Wants rderly Places.
The cooperative committee. repre-
sentlng the national organizations of
the brewers. wholesalers and retailers,
have agreed that licenses should be
issued in response to normal de-
| mand for them. and that the artificial
stimulation of business by any branch
of the trade is undesirable. The COM
mittee also advocates the absolute
suppression of any connection of any
licensed premises with any diSorderly
house or gambling establishment, and
urges the trade to refuse to sell to
'speak-easies,' or other Illicit vendors.
Perhaps the most important and
far-reaching suggestion made by the
| cooperative committee. is. that the
trade should encourage the establish
| ment of public family resorts in which
all kinds of refreshments shall be
dispensed. and in which the sale of al
CoholiC beverages shall be no more
emphasized than any other beverage.
conforming to the type of continental
beer hall and restaurant. familiar to
the American traveller. In the French
restaurant or t." German beer gar
dens. one sees whole families sitting
together at a table. slipping their beer.
their diluted wine or their coffee, en-
joying good music. eating their simple
fare. and talking together in peace
and harmony.
Il appeal to you" said the presi-
dent in closing. ito make it your per-
SOnal business to see that such re-
| forms are undertaken and carried OUT
and to accept willingly your own
share in the loss that these reforms
may. and will necessarily involve
temporary though they may be-both
because in the long run they will
| inure to your benefit. and most of all
! because they are putting the industry
| on all fours with the welfare Of the
community
Object to War Tax.
The views OF the Brewers Association
on the extra war tax were set forth in
the report of the trustees.
The report points out that while the
brewers have been heavy losers on &C
count of war conditions and because of
the constant menace to its business, it
taxation. while other industries that
grow fat on war contracts. escape en-
tirely."
Beer has been compelled to bear
war taxation out OF all proportion to
its relation to industry says the re-
port. The increased beer tax OF so
cents per barrel (making the present tax
$40 per barreD will expire By limitation
next December.
When this extra tax was imposed
the brewers submitted to it with the
feeling that there was an emergent need
for it. The burden is. however, a griev-
Gus one. particularly in these hard times
and there should be no renewal of the
extra tax until the government has ex-
hausted other means OF obtaining the ad-
ditional revenue. 1t would seem most
fitting that the heaviest burden of taxa
ton should be borne by those who are
making millions out Of the war-the arms
and munitions manufacturers. the steel
industry and the automobile manufac-
turers-rather than by those whose busi-
ness has suffered through the war"