Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-10-03
For the Herald
Vinlculture Ia California.


The viniculture Of California I. 40
GENEROUSLY taxed by the Federal Gov
ernment, by the State, and by coun-
ties and cities, for railroads and steam
ers, that it is apprehended that the cul-
tivatiOn will be abandoned on the
Pacific Slope. If q vineyardist takes
up a piece of waste ground anywhere,
and plants vineyard, the tax ASSESS
or soon finds that it Ia worth hundreds
of dollars per acre because it IL a vine
yard. What makes it vineyard:
Why, the fact that vines are planted
thereon. But the same officer assesses
the vines as improvements, which
make it vineyard. As soon as the
grapes are pressed, he assesses the
juice, as wine, at 30 much per gallon,
and the worn-Out pipe that holds 1t at
ten cents per gallon in addition. This
is twice as much as the old pipe could
be sold for.
The rule applies equally to the State
and county, and to the city when the
vineyard has the misfortune to be sit
uated within incorporated limits. The
vineyardist who sells his own wine and
brandy from cellar, has to pay q
quarterly license as merchant to the
State and county, and to the city every
month. II poor vineyariist who
makes wine has pot or still, in which
he proposes to utilize the residues OF
his manufacture, he il charged q
monthly license for the same of $40.
The internal revenue officer then
comes, and finds that such a wine
maker sells more than five gallons Of
liquor In one package. He is, there
fore, reckOned by the internal revenue
law rs a wholesale dealer, and SUBJ
jected toa license Of 500 per annum;
but, II he sells less than five gallons,
he is also rated as retail dealer, and
must pay retail license of S25 per
annum. II he manufactures the waste
and residues Of his wine into aqua
diente, he has to pay to the internal
revenue 20 cents per gallon for stamps,
and to keep q phalanx of fOrm-bOOks
that no one could understand, even
were he educated to 1t from his In.
fancy, for they will change every other
month, perhaps. Ifthe revenue officer
wine with another, or one liquor with
another, or makes wine bitters, thcu
he il rated as q compOunder; or, II he
rectifies his liquors, he is subject to q
license Of $500 per annum AZ recti-
fer, and to keep q new set of books, buy
stamps, notify tho gauger, and report
monthly to headquarters at WASH
ingtOn every month, on the peril Of
ruin and cOnfiscation.
After all this, there is no sale for the
wine or brandy at the locality OF pro-
ductiOn, and the maker must become
wine and brandy merchant ut San
Francisco, where his goods are again
subjected to the same string Of taxa
tions and perplexities. II he consign
his goods to 4 commission merchant In
New York or elsewhere, who IL not
liquor-dealer, he Is subject to the same
series of taxation.
Then he has dealings with the nabObs
OF the Central Pacific Railroad, whose
rates OF transportation are no high a.
to make it impossible to ship any great
quantity Of goods to the interior. The
employees, also, OF that company, treat
every man who approaches them with
create adherence. If he has to deal
with the Pacific Mail Company, he
will meet abundance of red tape and
circuity, (Which, however does not ap-
ply to the company's agent at Los An
geles, who is the most attentive and
amiable of gentlemen.) II goods are
shipped at San Pedro for the East, they
are ilrst taken to San Diego and land
edthere until it is convenient for the
agents to ship them again, while their
bill of lading responds for nothing.
In q word, while every one braEs
about California as great wine c0un-
try, the laws, and every scrub In au-
thOrity, exert themselves to tho ut
most to destroy the Illusion. Thus
great industrial enterprise, for which
the climate of California Is peculiarly
suited, is crippled in its incipient state
to satisfy the Unsuitable desire Of stu,
pid and ignorant Legislation to tax
what 1t calls "luxury" until it shows
signs of being frozen out Of existence