THE TRUTH ABOUT BEER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 994, 25 March 1909, Page 21

THE TRUTH ABOUT BEER.

IMPORTANT NEW PROPAGANDA.

(By

Matthew J. Cannon,

F.C.S-)

One of the most repugnant features of the campaign waged against the brewers lor some years has been the volume of slander and calumny with which the national beverage has been assailed. The wildest assertions have been made without tangible proof in support; in fact, many of *he statemeats have been of a nature that those having a more intim ice technical knowledge are apt Id dismiss as absurd, and on that account are Inclined to view them as vapourings unworthy of refutation. Yet there is a danger, and the results are becoming more and more apparent that the unchallenged lie will become, by mere repetition and insidious insistence, an accepted truth. In the earlier days of this campaign of calumny, the brewers. with a feeling of conscious rectitude, were content to adopt a laissez faire attitude. Slander was met with a shrug of the shoulder, the vapourings of irresponsible correspondents were neglected, while the more serious articles were contemptuously referred to as the work of the “penny-a-liner” journalist. But in these days there have arisen writers and speakers who repeat oft refuted statements, with an air of authority, and authors of repute, hav ng. the ear of the publis, not infrequently in; dulge in sarcastic diatribes against the brewer and the beer he brews. The result has been that the vast majority of . the public have been deluded into the belief that the beer of these days hhs lost its vaunted superiority as a ’ beverage. We have even noted the surprise, if not scepticism, when in-

formation is volunteered that malt and hops are still the. chief materials used in the production of beer. Every other manpretends to remember th'e period when beer was beer, and if he draws disparaging comparisons between past and present, his opinion invariably is the outcome of mental bias,, created by the statements or misstatements in the Press; which are constantly coming to his notice. Although the brewing of beer is one of the most openly-conducted trades —constantly under Government supervision, its returns regularly published, and the product subjected' to a closer and more rigid analytical scrutiny than any other beverage—yet, to all intents and purposes, so far as the public is concerned, the brewing of beer is- a closed book. Seldom, indeed, in the popular Press is any information of a' reliable character’ vouchsafed to the public as to the beverage of the country. On rare occasions, such as when the King brews a gyle of beer, the public is enlightened to a limited extent as to the operations of the brewer, the high technical skill required to brew a satisfactory beer, the rigid standard of purity exacted, and the hygienic conditions which are absolutely essential to insure success. Of course, all these matters are fully described and emphasised in the technical and scientific press, which has to rely for its information upon a subject which is of national as well as trade knowledge from obseiete works of reference. It therefore behoves the brewing trade to wake up, and, being awakened to its wrongs, to take steps to prepare a counterblast to the false education of the public upon a subject which is of national as well as trade importance. Surely it should not be difficult to prove that beer, a beverage containing a modicum of alcohol associated with nutritive proteid and saccharine matter, possesses a dietetic and physio.ogical value which cannot be surpassed by any other known beverage. There are, happily, some signs that it is being slowly recognised that a real necessity exists for some organised effort to be made to stem the torrent of falsehood and misrepresentation. Not only in this country, but in other countries too, it is being realised that the teetotal campaign aga nst alcohol in any shape or form is a fanatical agitation, and that in the interests of true temperance some discrimination must be made. 11 is, therefore, an encouraging sign of the times that there is a proposal on foot to establish an International Dietetic Physiological Branch in connection with the Versuchs and Lehranstalt fur Brauerei, at Berlin. It is proposed that, whilst the German brewers will contribute one-half of the funds necessary to the foundation and conduct of physiological investigation, the balance shall be contributed in varying amounts by Great Britain, the Un ted Slates, and other beer-producing 'Countries. Initially, the support of the brewers of the United Kingdom has been invoked through the Brewers" Society, to whom the invitation to support the effort by a grant was addressed. Since the object of the appeal appeared to be more of a scientific character than a trade matter, the subject was referred to the Council of the Institute of Brewing for instruction and advice. The members of the Cou icil were unanimous in expressing the view that, in the interests of the trade generally, the necessity has arisen for a complete review of the whole question of the dietetic and physiological value of beer- It was urged, however, that while every sympathy should be shown, and every help extended to the laudable efforts of the project of the Versuchs and Lehranstalt fur Brauerei, the exigencies of the situaton demanded a more comprehensive and intimate survey of the conditions ex’sting in this country, and that by extended investigation conducted by competent impartial authorities wholly unconnected with the trade. Only by such a course would it be possible to remove the ban of prejudice which has done so much harm to the reputation of a wholesome beverage. We in this country have institutions and eminent authorities to whom the brewers may with confidence state their case. The purity of beer has been assailed, its wholesomeness and nutritive value have been challenged, and it has been stigmat'sed as an in-