Evening Star Newspaper, June 25, 1933, Page 65

STAGGERING HOUGH beer is back again, and back with a vengeance, Americans still are the hardest drinkeérs of soft drinks in the world. Just how seriously the return of foamy 3.2 will affect the enormous industry that for 13 years has floated merrily on an ocean of pop, innocuous fruit juices and ice cream sodas remains to be seen, though there is little doubt that it will make serious inroads. Nor is there any reason to doubt that many manufacturers heretofore engaged in the pro- duction and sale of bottled pop will turn their hands to beer as an agency of greater profit. In fact, many already have done so and others unquestionably will follow. Figures on beer sales for the first couple of months following passage of the law hardly are reliable as an index of what the annual sale will be. In the first place, the tidal wave of enthusiasm which greeted the return of the Jong-lcst beverage could not be expected to last. Many bought beer during those first few days who won’t buy much of it in the future. On the other hand, Summer is at hand now, and hot weather makes people thirsty. And the number of States where the sale of beer is permitted is growing steadily. EPORE Congress passed the beer bill there B were something like 16 States where the sale of beer wculd be permitted immediately and half a dozen more where the prospects were bright. It was with these figures in mind, it is said, that the Treasury, under Ogden Mills, had based its estimate of probable annual beer revenue to the Federal Government at between $125,000,000 and $150,000,000. But, say the beer enthusiasts, look what hap- pened! - State after State hopped on the brewery n. Within a month after the passage of the bill 35 States had either permitted the sale of beer or had made arrangements to do so in the near future. With a tax of $5 on each barrel, to bring in an annual Federal revenue of $150,000,000 would require a daily sale of approximately 80,000 barrels in the United States. Most authorities already admit that the estimate was too conservative. But whether it was too conservative or not remains to be seen. By the end of Summer the country should have a reasonable idea of just how firm a hold 3.2 beer has on the public. No matter what happens, it is interesting to survey the figures on the soft drink business. Science and modern manufacture and dis- tribution made it possible for the modern girl to pose on a corner drug store revolving stool while she joined her b.y friend in a refreshing carbonated drink for the popular price of a nickel. For price and convenience, she has it all over her famous feminine predecessor who started this fad for fizzy drinks. She was none other than the beautiful and wily Cleopatra who enticed and impressed her illustrious boy friend, Mark Antony, by mixing and drinking a sizzling concoction at one of her famous banquets, whilc her languorous eyes watched her astonished admirer over the rim of her golden goblet. No one has estimated just how much that one unique carbonated drink cost, but it is known that she made it by dissolving one of the finest pearls from the priceless collection of Alexander the Great in a glass of sparkling wine. Perhaps the results justified the cost to the induigent Cleopatra, and she may have originated an idea for a great indu;try. Before Beer Came Back Into the Picture Thirsty Citizens Were Swallowing 13 Billion Glasses of Carbonated Beverages Annually, to Say Nothing of the Enormous Quantity of Fruit Juices. At any rate, that first bubbling refreshment has expanded by now to 13,000,000,000 glasses consumed annually by Americans alone, and its increasing popularity has reduced the price in an amazing way. EVERAGES have played an important part in the history of the world, from the potent wines of ancient civilization to the vast modern industry of carbonated beverages. Man has been particularly zealous in his quest for some magic concoction which would add to his health and pleasure and his possession of youth. Natural mineral waters have developed famous spas around the sources of their springs, in countries throughout the world, to which people have journeyed from far places to drink and bathe in the health-giving waters. It was a man's avid quest for a certain fabled fountain, whose tagic waters would insure per- petual youth, which led to the discovery of Florida, that State now famous for its seaside resorts and youthful pursuits of pleasure. Wherever springs of carbonated water are located in Europe there are not only modern health resorts but usually the ruins of some ancient Roman settlement as well. Similarly, in America, long befcre the arrival of the white man, the healthful properties of mineral springs were known and valued by the Indians. But the wators of these springs were not available to most persons, so man began to ponder upon the feasibility of carbonating water by artificial means. And whatever man has p-ndered, he has been able, usually, to achieve. Credit for the first success in carbonating water is given to an eminent English scientist and clergyman, Joseph Priestly, who also is credited with the discovery of the chief element in the world, oxygen. He lived his last years in America and was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. It was his experiments in artificially car- bonating water in about 1772 which interested a famous physician of that time in Philadel- phia, Dr. Philip Physick. This physician per- ceived the advantage of such a product to certain of his patients and induced a druggist friend of his to attempt its preparation. So Townsend Speakman worked in his little shop in Philadelphia until he had devised a successful carbonating apparatus. The first carbcnated water was made by impregunating distilled water with carbon dioxide gas, which is present on the surface of fermenting sub- stances. ATER, the gas was made from chalk or sulfuric acid. However, modern manufac- turers no longer obtain the gas from marble and sulfuric acid, for its production has become a highly specialized chemical industry, utilizing many natural acids and flavors. But bottled carbonated beverages may be said to have been born with the United States. Soon after the Revolution, patients and friends of Dr. Physick got the habit of dropping into Mr. Speakman’s shop every day for & glass or two of carbonated water. The Philadelphia druggist must have been a shrewd business man as well as an able druggist, for he ascertained that if this new drink were made more palatable the demand for it would increase. So he had the happy inspiration to flavor it with fruit juices. The results added to both flavor and appearance. The next step was artificial coloring. The idea clicked. Here was pleasant refreshment combined with health-giving elements. Its popularity grew with astonishing rapidity and the development of the industry has been steadily progressive. Statisticians might almost convince us that we drown ourselves annually in these carbonated beverages, or at least bathe in them. There are now some 75,000 plants which, until beer was ushered back, were manufacturing 13,000,- 000,000 half pints annually. This is equivalent to 812,000,000 gallons, which quantity of fizzy beverages, if placed in a mammoth reservoir, would support a whole fleet of modern battle- ships. But that «4sn’t all Americans drink. Besides this, $270,324,000 worth of bottled soft drinks, which are designated by various alluring trade names, the Nation consumes tons of fruit juices. HERE is no statistical record of the number of homemade drinks from lemons, oranges, grapes and such fruits, but there is authentic record that the fountain industry consumes annually 1,500,000,000 oranges and 283,400,000 lemons. Sales of fresh orange and lemon drinks have increased 68.2 per cent during the last five years. Among the various materials consumed by .o ’ o~ 2 - . . the soft drink industry, sugar is the largest item. More than 300,000 tons are required annually, which is about 25 per cent of the United States’ production of refined sugar. Try to visualize this quantity in oné large lump. It would have a velume of 9,500,000 cubic feet. Next to sugar, acids are among the most im- portant ingredients of bottled carbonated bevere ages. The most popular are citric and tartaric acids, obtained from lemons and grapes. This acid market has been revolutionized during the last three cr four years. Italy had long supplied the world with citric acid and citrates. But since 1928 the United States has not only supplied her own market but has displaced Italy as the leader in the foreign citrate market with increasing exports of that product. This industry will continue to expand with continued experiment and research and the potential increase of natural fruit juices. For many years grape juice was the only un- fermented fruit juice produced on a commercial scale, and it still represents the greater part of the fruit juice production. The value of the grape juice manufactured in 1929, according to figures from the United States Department :.l‘:annmcz was $5,188,594. In addition to , & considerable quantity of grape juice is produced in homes and on farms. 4 Postal Receipts Boofm'ng" AVBRYdeflmtetumupwud'unoted during May by the Post Office Departmeng in the quantity of postal business, always cone sidered indicative of business improvement, The standard list of 50 cities shows 48 with an increase over last year and enly, 2, Chicago and Dayton, Ohio, falling behind, Chicago was less than $9,000 behind, while Day« ton lagged a little more than $13,000. Every one of these cities had shown a loss for thd previous two years. A second list of 50 industrial cities, whilg not making quite so good a showing, neverthee less were encouraging. Forty-three showed gains and only seven losses. The average ine crease for the 50 cities was 3.42 per cent. 4 U. S. Generous Landlord UNO!ESAM.takingoognlzanceott.heM price of meats, has lowered the grazing feeg charged stock raisers for pasturage in the nae tional forests. The rates in effect since 193% provided for a charge of 14.5 cents per head of cattle per month and 4.5 cents per head of sheep. These new rates reduce the charge to 9.05 cents for cattle and 2.05 for sheep, i i Sugar Demand Huge DlSPI’I‘E a 9 per cent reduction in the sugag crop this year over last year, so tremendoug is the carry-over that prices are expected to show little or no reflection from the short crops. The normal world consumption eof sugar is around 30,000,000 tons and the pro- duction this year is estimated at 2,000,000 toms under the normal demand. i