What Really Happened to the Breweries.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1922, Page 1

What Really Happened to the Breweries.

•By J. W. G.) Before the United States legislated herself dry, three of the groat breweries of the country— ollc of 111. Mil, ill fact, reputed to lie the largest in the world—were located in St Louis, the big commercial metropolis of the .Mississippi valley. To-day only one of those breweries is running, and it is running on a ■“drv” basis.

It was the chief owner of this huge establishment, Mr August liuscli, head of the Anheuser-Busch Company, who showed me his establishment in its new role as a manufacturer of what is termed in America “Near beer.”

hi a single building on which nearly 2-5 millions sterling had boon expended to bring lteer production up to a point of the greatest efficiency, only “near,” or 1 per cent, beer was being turned out when T inspected this vast plant. UNEMPLOYMENT. “Before prohibition wc employed .1,000 people,” said Mr Busch ; “today we have only about 400. “But to understand what this really means to industry,” he added, “one must consider the effect on all the subsidiary industries. For instance, in the neighbourhood of our plant many shopkeepers have had to close their places because of the falling oir in trade. But it reaches even farther than that. What of the farmers and their barley? We must wait. Some day America will turn to light wines and beer.”

RAILWAY [OLE. The Anheuser-Busch plant covers several score of acres of ground, and there is a huge railway and dock terminus connected with it. Before prohibition the railway yards were !>usv night and day, whereas now the rail facilities are all out of proportion to the ronuirements.

Tu the immediate neighbourhood are flic other two huge brewing plants. But both T have mentioned of these have been completely knocked out by prohibition.—London ‘Daily Mail.'— *