Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-09-04
Why Include Beer in National
Prohibition?
Cora F. Stoddard.

be for wears. Victory il the war may
rest with the side that can supply the
last million pounds needed.
Over 3,OOO,O00,o 600 pounds OF
foodstufs were used in making beer
and other malt liquors in the United
States during the year ending June
80, 1917, according to the latest
Bureau of Crop Estimates, Dec.'
1919
The sugar supply is short. France
has little. Our soldiers are clamorlng
for candy which not only pleases the
palate but has good energy values
for them. Our own sugar shortage
during the past few months has been'
to say the least, embarrassing. The
Food Administration urges the use
of syrup to save cane sugar. But the
brewers used in the twelve months
ending June so, 1917, 112,OOO,Ooo
pounds of "starch sugar. suitable
for syrups, candy, and as a suDstl-
tute for other domestic purposes,
where sweetening is needed.
Beer Taxes Transportation.
TRANSFORMATION. The business OF
the country is seriously handicapped
by the shortage and o~vercrowding OF
transportation facilities. The brewer
les produced in the year 1867,
6O.72e,5O9 barrels of malt liquors.
Not all of this amount is moved by
the railroads but a large part OF 1t
is, and enough is probably moved by
the railroads more than once to make
up for what is transported by other
means.
To transport this n years pro
duction would require 15O,6O9 rail-
road cars of an average capacity OF
$4,000 pounds each. The train would
he long enough to reach from Bos-
ton to Kansas City, Mo. lover l,Soo
miles,. A Pennsylvania coal O. rat
or of three mines who states n a
letter dated January s, 1917. 5lat ne
is hampered in producing c., from
five to fifteen per cent by tAs use OF
intoxicants by miners, ADDS:
"While the railroads will not haul
supplies for a building l have under
erection, 1 notice that they still haul
carloads of beer in and out OF this
town."
Beer Takes Fuel.
Coal. In the winter of 1918 people
suffered for lack of coal IN their
homes. Schools and offices closed Tor
lack of it, transportation was handl-
capped, factories whose output IS
urgently needed for the war were
menaced by cessation of work for
lack of coal. In addition to the coal
REQUIRED to transport beer and other
malt liquors by train, coal is being
used in producing it. F. D. Leach,
Food Conservator of Ohio is reported
to have estimated that every pint OF
beer requires one pound of coal. II
this is true, over 100000 tons Of
coal urgently needed for heat, light
and power by the people of the Unit
ed States and their allies were used
in making beer in the year 1861.
The brewers themselves claim that
they used but 100000 and that
they have agreed to reduce this
amount to 1900, coo for the coming
year.
Whatever the exact figures may be
the fact remains that the coal used
by the brewers would have relieved
a coal shortage dangerous alike to
the health of the people and the spec
dy output of war necessities.
These are not fanciful figures.
They represent as nearly as possible
through official estimates, the mate
rial loss that the manufacture and
distribution of malt liquor entails
upOn lne UGllOll dG d IlilS WIFI "
cry should be conserved
and directed into truly productive
channels.
If beer is useful, if it increases
the productivity, health, welfare,
power, vision of u people, then
these expenditures for its production
and distribution might be justified
even in war time.
But beer does none of these things.
The drug alcohol which it contains
is proven to lessen productivity. 1t
impairs health and shortens life. In
so far as it impairs the powers of
the individual, it reduces the power
of the nation. 1t opens the way to
drunkenness. 1t is the cause of chron-
ic alcoholism which saps a nations
vigor. 1t dulls moral vision.