58 - 



The duty on beet sugar Las been twenty francs per 

 100 kilogrammes since 2i st August, 3908 (International 

 Convention of Brussels), before which date it was 

 45 francs. 



PRODUCTION or BEER 



Beer is the national drink of Belgium. The country 

 possessed : 



Hectolitres 



3,223 breweries in 1900, producing 14, 616, 535 of beer. 

 3,253 1901* i4,66o,33o 



3,276 1902, 14, 431,4*8 



The duty is fixed at the choice of the brewer, on one of 

 the following bases : 



a) On the quantity of raw material declared; the duty 

 on each kilogramme of raw material declared is 10 cen- 

 times (2 cents per 2.20 pd) ; or 



b) A duty of 4 francs on each hectolitre of the total 

 capacity oi' the mash-tun. 



PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOL 



Before the law of February i8 th (1903) the distilling of 

 alcohol gave employment to a great number of factories. 

 Their number has since dimiuibhed but those remaining 

 have a larger productive power. 



The number of distilleries at work were : 



Hectolitres 



270 in 1900, producing 716,951 of spirit at 5o G. L. 



274 1901? 736.905 



257 1902, G57,i65 



The duty, which was 100 francs per hectolitre before the 

 law of February i8 th 1903, has been increased to i5o francs 

 per hectolitre at 5o tested by the alcomcter of Gny-Lussac 

 and at a temperature of i5 centigrade; this increase in the 

 amount of the tax was made with a view of diminishing 

 the consumption of alcohol, which result was eventually 

 obtained. 



