HENRY H. RUETER. ANSWER TO ABOVE FROM INTERNAL REVENUE DEPARTMENT. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF INTERNAL REVENUE, WASHINGTON, September 29, 1879. HENRY H. RUETER, ESQ. _President United States Brewers’ Association, Boston, Mass._ SIR: Acknowledging the receipt of yours of the 25th instant, in reply to office letter of the 15th instant calling attention to an article published in the _Brewers’ Gazette_ relative to errors in reports of sales of fermented liquors for the years 1878 and 1879, as published by the _Western Brewer_ and A. E. Tovey, and inquiring if such publications were considered desirable by the brewers of the United States, I have to say that I fully concur in your opinion that, while some may favor the publication of such statistics, others would object thereto, and would argue that there is no parallel case in any other branch of trade; and that individual business affairs should not thus be made public; that such publications lead to undue competition; and that they become a bone of bitter contention between publishers. For this reason, I have decided to prohibit the furnishing of such lists hereafter to any and all parties. Respectfully, R. E. ROGERS. _Acting Commissioner._ On the other hand, while it is certain that many brewers are glad to have their product extensively stated, it is at least probable that very few have any real objection. In order to test the question we sent a printed form of inquiry, as to production, to all the brewers in the country. A large majority furnished the desired information, and as many others doubtless failed to answer simply through negligence or indifference, it seemed certain that the number of objectors was so small that this list might be published with propriety and to the satisfaction of far the larger part of those interested. It is to be noticed that this is a very different thing from printing enforced statements, without a shadow of authority from the brewers themselves. In this book the figures are generally furnished by the brewers and for this very purpose. Where no reply has been received, the product has been stated according to the best testimony that could be obtained, and the total result is certainly more accurate than any yet published. This is not because the government returns were incorrect, but because of carelessness in transcription, or errors of the types, or both. Whatever the cause, so many errors have been discovered in the so-called official lists of those who obtained their information through Washington, as to greatly impair the value of those tables, and create much dissatisfaction among those who find an erroneous impression of their business thus disseminated through