Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-20
Coal the Breweries Are Using.


ing to reduce in the public mind the
amount Of food they are making over
into booze slop, and the amount of
precious fuel they are using in the
processes, and the amount of transpor-
tation they are monopolizing in carry
ing on their evil business, it is interest
ing to look back to some of the ad-
vertising of these brewery companies
in the days when such advertising was
permitted to circulate in the prohibition
state OF Maine through the medium OF
out -of-state newspapers. In quarter
page advertisement in the Boston Her
aid, by one of these brewing COM
panies, We find their boast OF con-
sumption Of 32o tons Of coal per day for
every day in the year. by this single
brewing company. Perhaps that same
company is not making as much beer
today as it was then. and perhaps it is
making more, we do not know. The
40 IL ~ 60 nv a. tdiiN I)it w w
know that there are scores and hun
dreds of brewing companies in this
country and that every one Of them is
using vastly more coal in comparison
to the number OF men employed than
any other industry in this country-ln-
dustries which are now closed down
day after day in order that the booze
makers may have more coal and may
have more wheat and other grains and
foods to convert into poison.
Prof. Mark r. Shaw, eastern district
secretary Of the I. r. A. with offices at
Boston. has been devoting his activities
of late largely to a compilation of fig
ures from census reports and govern
ment documents, comparing the con-
sumption of fuel by various leading In
dustries. His tables are much TOO long
to use in competition with this editorial
but he reveals therein the fact that the
manufacturers of boots and shoes in
the United States with only one third
as much capital invested, employ near
ly four times as many men, but use
only one ninth as much coal as do the
makers Of malt liquor He finds that
the makers Of bread and bakery
products with less than one third of
the capital invested, employ nearly
three times as many workers, but use
less than one third as much coal as the
brewers. He find that the makers of
mems clothing. with less than half of
the capital invested. employ FIVE times
as many men. but use less than one
nth as much coal as the makers Of
beer He finds that the printers and
publishers. with less capital invested.
employ nearly five times as many men.
but use less than one fifth as much
coal as the brewers
Mr.. Shaw remarks. in considering the
significance of his figures, that it
should be remembered that the coal
"9eu ny tle IdlirOdOS IN carrying the
raw material to the brewers. and the
products to the dealers, and the 1000
600 or more tons which, at a fair esti-
mate, are used to heat the 10000
saloons in this country, is not included
IN the figures which he gives as con
sumed in the production of malt
liquors. $4,000 tons Of coal estimated
on the figures for other years as the
approximate used in 1917. Thus a con-
tho year passing would place it at more
than 5000, 600 tons.
And our President permits this
waste TO go on, at the same time that
millions of tons Of food are being con-
Ncrted by the use of this fuel into n
worse than useless product--w While we
freeze and We starye for the need of
TINS fuel and this food. and While o1r
allies are suffering and dying in untold
numbers across the ocean, because o,,r
President with full power does not act
What will the children Of half a CEN
fury ahead say of us when they read
these things in the cold facts of his
tory?