“WHAT IS BEER ?”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3320, 12 September 1911, Page 5

“WHAT IS BEER ?”

FOOD INSPECTORS REACH NO DECISION. . A Washington Board of Food and Drug inspection concluded its hearing on the question, ‘,‘What is beer?” and, still somewhat unenlightened, will continue to gather information from chemists and brewing experts before announcing a decision. Some idea of the attitude of the authorities, however, toward the beer now sold may be derived from a letter written by Secretary Wilson, of the Department of Agriculture, produced. Secretary Wilson says : “I have just been interviewing our ■chemists and pure food experts along barley lines, and it is in their minds and mine to reach something definite with regard to what beer is. We could require that beer made from anything else than barley should have a label showing its component parts. I think we can go that far. If we find that any beers injurious to the public health are being made we could declare -them adulterants and stop the interstate trade in them.” , Lawrence Maxwell, of Cincmatti, 0., former United States Solicitor-General and now the representative of thousands of corn-growers in the Middle West, protested against the movement to label specifically the beers made "from products other than barley malt and hops. John D. Mauff of Chicago, representing the National Consumers’ League, read from advertisements of brewers claiming that their beers were made of barley malt and hops, when in reality none of these ingredients was used. One advertisement read: — “If you only know what we know about beer you would drink no other than our beer.”