Evening star., 1932-12-07
|JOBS FOR 10000
| PROMISED BY BEER
Four Per Cent Advocated as
Hearings Begin Before
House Committee.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.)
bill, it would be handled separately from
the beer bill.
Representative Hawley, Republican, Of
Oregon, said he understood the Collier
bill was to receive preferential
treatment"
Expects Action by Holidays.
'It is hoped this matter can be de-
termined one way or the other before
the holidays" Collier replied.
As the first witness, Representative
the committee ito write the right kind
Of BILL" and do it quickly.
So great was interest that q number
Of Congressnen not on the committee
sat with committeeman behind the
large, raised and semi-circular mahog-
any table facing the audience.
Drys Protected, He Says.
lingering q copy Of the bill, Cooke
testified ut provides o tax for revenue
purposes and in another section pro-
vides absolute protection to the dry
| States"
Cooke went into different phases of
the measure, noting it means Congress
win Withdraw from the field Of regula-
| tion over beer, ale and porter not con-
tanning more than the prescribed alco-
holic content"
| Representative Chindblom. Repub-
lican, of Illinois, asked "the difference
between beer and lager beer"
Lager Is Q beer that has been
| lagered," Cooke explained. 1T is the
method Of treatment to improve its
TASTE"
You gentlemen know we'll the Webb
Kenyon act, passed in 1913" he said at
another point. This act was passed to
protect dry States from interstate COM
merce in liquor"
In his view. the Collier bill protects
the dry States from importation Of the
beer authorized by 1t.
Says Congress Has Right.
"This BILL" Cooke reiterated, "fur-
nishes complete and effective safeguard
for protection Of States and communi-
| ties which don't want this product"
said, Congress has right within rea-
son to determine what Is intoxicating
liquor"
The witness insisted 2.75 beer was
Intoxicating and cited court de-
cisions in support.
Representative Ragon. Democrat, Of
Arkansas, asked why the bill did not
set limit on the alcoholic content on
wine, since 1t had been fixed for beer.
| II am not prepared to deal with 1t
(wine) this morning" Cooke said, add
ing that nature had 'a lot to do with
the alcoholic content Of wine.
There are other things in beer that
go to make well balanced beer, and
beer must have q sufficient quantity Of
alcohol to be well balanced"
Urges or 3.2 Per Cent.
Cooke said the brewers want or
3.2 per cent beer. which he contended
was non-intoMcating.
"If or 80 per cent beer Is author
lied, I believe the brewers will try to
make beer of q little less percentage
than the maximum in order to be well
within the constitutional limits" he
continued.
Asked by Representative Aldrich.
Republican, Of Rhode Island, whether
he would support 3.75 per cent beer, he
called 1t unnecessary and said 80 per
cent would make well balanced beer"
The brewers counsel contended the
Collier bill would relieve Congress of
enforcement instead Of adding to its
responsibilities.
Cooke declined to answer question
by Representative Treadway as to
whether wine would not contain more
than 2.75 per cent alcohol.
IT am not a wine -bibber," Cooke
smiled. "You viii have to ask some
one else"
Gives Home Brew Data.
As he wound up his hour and Is
MI, ~ tActfyI9avp rryffI, q Ant
the Supreme Court would follow the
decision Of Congress as to the alcoholic
content in beer, Representative Chind-
blom asked the average percentage OF
home beer"
About s or per cent" Cooke re-
piled, land the home brewers can't
keep it down.
Don't make the tax SO high that 1t
will result In smuggling" he cautioned,
and also urged that the alcoholic con-
tent not be placed SO low that boot
leggers and beer runners would have
demand for beverage of higher alco-
holic content
I'VE are not asking you to authorize
an intoxicating liquor" said Cooke,
maintaining that by legalizing 80 per
cent beer and with low tax ito begin
with you will pave the way for rehabili-
tating an industry, increasing employ
ment and helping all industry"
He urged that Congress ALLOW local
regulation Of beer" and do not set up
Federal policing system to regulate
something you believe to be unintox-
eating" He recommended that low
dustry Is built UP, consider higher tax.
Huber, who also is vice president Of
the Anheuser- Busch Brewing Co., ap-
peared on behalf Of So plants, or 80 per
cent of the beer production capacity Of
the country.
Small Glass for Nickle.
Representative Bacharach, Republi-
can, Of New Jersey, asked Huber
whether the nickle glass of beer could
be sold under a $5-a-barrel Federal tax.
"It would be pretty small" Huber
said, adding that States and cities also
would tax the beverage. He said under
some circumstances beer could be pro-
duced at So barrel for q reasonable
profit.
In 1914, Huber said, on the basis Of
Government figures, there was invested
$858, ,861 900 in 1892 breweries, while IN
1882 there were but 231 legitimate
brewers.
Beer could be manufactured to be
for distribution, the witness said.
He forecast it would require two
years to build up the business. Only
about 80 per cent Of plant capacity
would be needed by the brewers for
two years.
Representative Dickinson, Democrat,
of Missouri asked what percentage of
alcohol he preferred, and Huber agreed
with Cooke on "3.2 by weight or per
cent by volume"
In 1914, Huber said, 76,893 men were
employed directly in the brewery in
dustry, and it was estimated that 300,-
600 were employed indirectly. In 1929,
he said, only $3.50 men were employed.
Democrats Confident.
Before todays meeting Democratic
House leaders were confident as they
undertook formulation of beer bill,