Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-06-22
Yos Auscles 4lerala.
4 Con blnatisn to Monopolise Cal-
ifornla Wines.

Hon. NJ. NJ. Estee delivered an
address at the late picnic of the VII
tieultural Association at White
Sulphur Springs, Napa county. In
the course Of his address he com.
msntsd in strong language on a
combination said to have been re-
csntly made to monopolize the pur-
chase of California wines. He
said:
There IL another very serious
question which affects, or will af-
feot, the prosperity of the grape
growers of California-that is the
question OF transportation.
In order TO make grape-growing
and wine-making successful In CAL
ifornla we must have the world for
3 market. To do this we must
have fair and reasonable transport
tation, and that 1t may be fair and
reasonable, every man should have
On equal right to transport between
the same points the same quantity
at the same price. am Informed
that few wine merchants of san
Francisco have organized combi.
nation and entered into q. contract
with the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, whereby they have
agreed to ship to New York, with
in Q time limited, between one and
two million gallons of wine, At u
price stated and upon the express
terms and agreement that no other
person or persons should have an
equal opportunity to ship that
amount, or any other amount of
wine to the same point from the
same shipping place at the same
figure. This is fraud and an out
rage; it IL q disgrace to the
pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany, and to the railroad
companies that stand behind the m;
and 1t is o disgrace also to these
wine merchants who have entered
Into the combination. It is fraud.
because 1t is intended to give these
merchants q monopoly Of and an
advantage over the wine trade OF
the Pacific Coast, because IL they
can ship their wine to New York
cheaper than other merchants can,
then no producer can seek for u
market outside Of California. and
competition In buying and selling
wine In CALIFORNIA ceases. In other
words, the Pacific Mall Com pany
and these wine merchants combine
% dx the price Of your wine. The
wrong 10 that these wine meroha ants
net only have more favorable terms
for themselves than others can get
In shipping their wines to market,
but other parties who desire to ship
their wine to the same market are
prohibited from doing 80. These
corporations might as well-and it
would be just as honest for them
TO enter your house in the night
time. ana steal from you any arti.
Gle Of jewelry or money that you
have, or meet you on the highway
and rob you. In the latter case,
yea would have q chance both for
your life aud money, for you could
1ght or run away. But in the form.
Of you have no show of escape, for
the railroad and the steamship COM
pAny having combined, no other
Means 10 open 10 you for rapid
shipment, and although both
these corporations are subsidiz ed
BY the Government, yet they both
Join In o contract, or profit from a
contract, that ruins and ensiaves
>tho producer. What is worse is,
they claim to do this under the
form Of law. The time will come
when such wrongs cannot and shall
not exist; when before the law, as
In the mArts of trade and In the
great race of life, all men shall be
equal; when dollars shall not be
the only measure of manhood;
when corporate wealth shall not
10 used to crush the poor, or
smether out strugg ding enterprises;
when truth, and justice, and hon.
or, and patriotism shall be the dis.
tinctive marks of an American
citiaen, and when the accidents of
wealth, like the accidents of birth,
shall not stand above the law, or
direct the policy of our Govern
ment:
Mr.. Estee was frequently and
heartily applauded during his adj
drsss, especially when he spoke of
the wroDss done the producers by
transportation companies dlscrim.
mating against that body, individ-
uAlly and collectively, in favor of
four or five dealers in San Fran
OiDoo.