587 Gallons of Beer Consumed in Eating Places in Square Daily--Sales Drop Caused by Belief That Brew Has Not Aged

The thirteen licensed stores in the immediate vicinity of Harvard Square sell on the average of 9400 glasses of beer every day or about 587 gallons, a CRIMSON reporter leaned Saturday from statistics furnished by the local venders. For places that have brew both in bottles and on tap, patrons buy approximately 20 gallons of bottled beer, or 160 bottles a day to 32 gallons or 512 scidels of beer on draught. There is one place in the Square that carries 14 brands, and averages $137 receipts on the beverage every 14 hours, Most licenses are $100 plus an additional $25 for 'federal tax, so that handling foam is a decidedly lucrative business for eating places that were hard hit by the institution of House Dining Halls.

In spite of the apparently large quantity sold new and the recent warm weather, merchants have noticed a steady drop in consumption. In the first week after April 6 the four shops that had licenses sold over 800 gallons a day. There is a feeling that when the beers have had more time to age, the price are reduced, and nationally known brands are everywhere available, that trade will pick up. When questioned whether their business would be affected if beer were held in the Houses, most shopkeepers seemed to fear that sales would drop off about 40 per cent.

The large amounts of the brew consumed in the first week were due principally to the fact that everyone who whetted his palate, had three or four steins. Now it is rare to supply the customer with more than one glass or bottle, Two stores that have beer to take out, average a sale of 19 cases a day.

Among the self drinks Coca-Cola appears to be the most severely affected with sales reported dropping 40 to 60 per cent, Ice cream sodas were slightly affected, out milk and coffee search suffered any change in demand.