Tuesday 25 May 2010

Price fixing 1943

An illegal cartel. That's what they'd call it now.

These are the prices per hectolitre of draught beer:



Translation:

"2nd: Article 1.A of Chapter VII is replaced by:

Beer prices per barrel
----------------------
1.A The binding prices for member breweries for the beers mentioned in Chapter VI for draught beer are as follows:

Lager 24.80 guilders per hl
Pilsener or Münchener 34.65 guilders
Stout 51.30 guilders

with the understanding that the prices of the other types of beer mentioned in Article 1 of Chapter VI will be agreed on later, when it is necessary.

3rd: Article 3 of Chapter VII is read as follows:

Agent discount.
---------------
3.A this is:
per hl Lager a maximum of 4.15 guilders
per hl Pilsener or Münchener a maximum of 4.15 guilders
per hl Stout a maximum of 4.15 guilders

with the understanding that the discounts of the other types of beer mentioned in Article 1 of Chapter VI will be agreed on later, when it is necessary."



These are the breweries that agreed to it:



They'd never dare pull such a trick nowadays, would they?

Almost forgot the beer types featured. Beer styles, sorry. Must get my terminology right. Lager, Pilsener, Münchener, Stout. Interesting mix.

I must share the same brewers' proposals for introducing Märzen as a spring seasonal beer. Fascinating stuff. But I can't be arsed tot translate it at the moment. I'll do it later. Remind me if I forget. It's great stuff.

5 comments:

StuartP said...

I think there were a lot of uninvited lager drinkers visiting Holland at the time. Only fair to stitch them up with the pricing.

Matt said...

I don't read Dutch so I'm guessing here but as the Netherlands were occupied by Germany in 1943 did the breweries in question have much choice in agreeing to fixed prices for their lagers? I presume the Münchener and Märzen were also intended to appeal primarily to off-duty German soldiers.

Tandleman said...

"But I can't be arsed tot translate it at the moment."

You may not have noticed Ron, but you couldn't be arsed to translate this lot either. Well maybe in your head, but not for the rest of us and my Dutch isn't what it could be.

Ron Pattinson said...

Matt, Munchener was the original type of Lager brewed in Holland. And one that was brewed after the war, too.

The Marzen was intended as a new seasonal beer for the Spring. Nothing to do with the Germans.

Ron Pattinson said...

Tandleman, I've added a translation.