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COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND RATES.

C. W. FEIGENSPAN, Chairman.
WILLIAM J. LEMP.
J. GEORGE JUNG.
WILLIAM UIHLEIN.
G. M. DAUSSMAN.

HUGH F. Fox..

.2 Freeman St., Newark, N. J. 13th & Cherokee Sts., St. Louis, Mo. .2019 Elm St., Cincinnati, Ohio .3rd & Galena Sts., Milwaukee, Wis. 7th & Sycamore Sts., Evansville, Ind. Secretary.

.50 Union Square, New York City

REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION

OF THE

United States Brewers' Association

HELD IN ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY,

AT THE SHELBURNE HOTEL.

OCTOBER 3 AND 4, 1913.

FIRST DAY.

(FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3.)

The Fifty-third Convention was called to order at 10:45 A. M., by the President, Colonel Jacob Ruppert, Jr.

THE PRESIDENT:-Gentlemen of the Convention, first in the order of business will be the roll-call.

MR. KENDALL: I move that we dispense with the roll call. Carried.

THE SECRETARY:-There are one hundred and seventy active members now registered. It is important that every active member should be registered. The red badge is the record for any vote that may come up, and it is important that the active members should be recorded and that they should wear their red badges during the meetings.

THE PRESIDENT:-Gentlemen of the Convention: The country is to be congratulated upon the progress that the brew

ing industry has made during the fiscal year which ended June 30th, 1913, for it is still true, in spite of prohibition, that the beer sales serve as a barometer of industrial conditions generally. So far as the sale of draft beer is concerned, our business is largely a city business, and the sentiment of the cities is strongly against the prohibition of the sale of beer. The plain fact of the matter is, that beer is the best popular drink that has yet been invented, and nothing has been made or discovered yet that will take its place. All the efforts of our opponents to discredit it in popular favor have proved futile, and I feel perfectly confident that the use of beer will become more and more general as time goes on, and that the tempo will be increased just in proportion to the intelligence we display in putting the facts before the people. It must be a great disappointment to the opponents of the saloon to find that local prohibition and the enforcement of laws restricting the hours of business, have simply resulted in a large increase in the family trade. The object we are seeking to attain is not to get people to drink more beer, but to get more people to drink beer.

A persistent effort has been made during my term of office to secure a large increase in the membership of this Association, not merely for the sake of increasing our income, but also for the purpose of extending the solidarity of the brewing industry in all of its vital affairs. We owe it to ourselves, as a matter of self-respect, if for no other reason, to put the brewer in his just and true light before the public.

For years we have been made the target for the attacks of not only the fanatics, but of a large number of men who are exploiting the temperance sentiment for their own ends.

Our business is an honorable business, and we should put our case before the public fairly and frankly, and organize our forces not merely for defense, but for a constructive purpose.

During the past year we have secured 65 new members, and the Association now comprises 697 breweries, which represent in their output 60 per cent. of the brewing industry of the United States. Considering the work that has been done to bring this about, the result is not satisfying. Your officers have gone to every brewing centre, and have met with every organized State Association. I have written personal letters to every brewer who is not a member; our trustees have called upon many of them personally; the Membership Committee have conducted a most energetic

campaign; our publications have been sent to all brewers without discrimination; and in, short, we have done everything that we could think of to make all the brewers realize the value of a national organization and the importance of allying themselves with it.

I take it that all of you here are members of the United States Brewers' Association, and I am putting this before you so that you may make it your business individually to seek out the brewers in your locality who do not belong, and urge them to join our Association. It is not so much from the standpoint of revenue that I make this appeal, but principally because our earnestness, our sincerity, our self-respect are involved in the undertaking, and the public measures us according to our own corporate standing.

We believe that a mild stimulant, such as beer made of wholesome materials in an absolutely hygienic way, meets an adult human need that is almost universal. A popular beverage must be cheap and good; it must be readily accessible, and it must be so made that it will keep good under all conditions. The science of brewing has reached such a point of perfection that it is doubtful if we can make any material reduction in the cost of manufacture. We cannot consider any reduction in wages, the brewing industry must at all hazards maintain its pre-eminent position as a fair and liberal employer.

A national association cannot and should not undertake to settle local trade disputes, or attempt to do anything to interfere with the free play of competition. It can, however, set up a standard for the consideration of its members, and advance the principles that must prevail in the conduct of the retail business, but it needs the support of all the brewers, if it is to carry convictions to the public. If we expect to make the people believe that we are really in earnest in the matter of saloon reform, we must be able to speak in the name of all brewers, and not merely on behalf of sixty per cent. who belong to our organization.

I entreat you to show your good faith in your business by backing up the Association that is organized for no other purpose than to serve you and your interests in an intelligent and honorable

manner.

Now that my term of office is about to expire I wish to take advantage of the occasion to express to the members of the Association, as well as its officers and committees, my heartfelt thanks for the loyal and effective support which they have given me. They

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have all done great work in their various spheres and if my administration has met with your approval it is due to their support and co-operation. I now declare this Convention open for business.

THE SECRETARY:-I understand, Mr. President, that Mr. Richard H. Gangwisch, of Philadelphia, is present, representing the Master Brewers' Association of the United States.

THE PRESIDENT:-It gives me pleasure to invite Mr. Gangwisch to address the convention as the representative of the Master Brewers' Association. (Applause.)

MR. GANGWISCH:-Mr. President and Gentlemen, I have been delegated by the President of our Association to extend to you our greetings and our best wishes for a successful convention.

I am pleased to report that the question of the further education of the workman, submitted to us at our Chicago and Cleveland Conventions by your representative, has been taken up and freely discussed and has widened into á field for improving knowledge all along the line. Several propositions are on foot to carry into effect the ideas proposed, and as these materialize we will be pleased to have your representatives join us in their discussion, either at our Pittsburgh Convention or later.

Mr. W. F. Carthaus, our President, has been in correspondence with several of your trustees on other important matters, the subject of which has been referred to your Secretary, and by him to your Advisory Committee. Should the latter, or your Board of Trustees, find merit in his propositions, I shall be pleased to be informed of your wishes in the matter or have your representative discuss the same with us at our convention in Pittsburgh, to which he is welcome, not only at our convention, but at our Board of Trustees and Committee meetings.

In the meantime, Mr. President and Gentlemen, I want to assure you of our sincere desire to be of such assistance to your Association as may conduce to the progress of our industry, and to place our service at your command. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:-The next in order will be reading of communications. The Secretary will read any communications he has.

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