Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-08-15

wine producing countries OF the WIN,
needs only . little zine to demonstfate..
Your knowing all this, and knowing y
well, and knowing fully as well that
aolne little kindness shown at this time
TO our industry. will prove great factor
in the success Of our State, and in the
long run prove source OF great revenue
10 our Government, makes US sanguine
that we have your sympathy and your
help in all our legitimate endeayors.
We are aware that your power is lin
tied; that you have to do what the
Commissioner at Washington wishes
done. but we also know that you are
his adviser that what you may say ana
believe will have great influence, and
being good advice, will have its weight
and in the long run prevail. The new
administration, tue Democratic adminis.'
tration, has not az yet Hlled the hearts
Of the yiticulturists with Joy. "A new
broom may sweep clean" but possibly
il NAV sweep too clean, and may sweep
US all away. We have had more than
our share Of annoyance and anxie.y,
simply becauss our interests and auairs
are not appreciated or understood. ana
the end Is not yet. Already we are
favored with new circular informing
US that our bran y must De gauged
within the month Ia which II is made
Let us show you the difficulty Of CON-
plying with this order, and the hard
ships it would work II strictly enforced.
You are aware that as grapes are so
perishabie, that there Is great rush at
vintage time to get them into some
prodnct, wine or brandy. which is
stable. every one wishing to deliver
their grapes as soon a. they can get
them Is. Tor so soon as they are ripe,
each dav that passes means loss,
through drying up, being stolen or eaten
by the numerous wild animals that prey
upon them, O say nothing of the liabil-
ity Of a rain or frost which brings great
loss. The rush which you yourself
have personally seen, causes the dgtil-
Ter to do his utmost, and a. doubling
causes q delay, it is much easier to wait
til the rush is over, and then make one
Job of our doubling. Let us say, for IN
stance. that we would do our doubling
AZ we 20 along. or at least during the
month-then we still have to reduce
our brandy to proof, and TINS
is a. job which requires the utmost
care, the attention Of an Intelligent
and practiced person, and this sort OF q
man cannot be picked up every or any
day, we can assure you. In most IN
stances the distiller attends to this him
self and then follows another exacting
job-coloring our brandy. 1t will be
known to you that . months work at
some Of our large distilleries represents
several hundreds of packages, all as an
expedient to our success, exactness De-
comes prime factor, and our experiences
has taught the most expedient method
which Is the one we follow. Then It
must too be considered that vintage
time Is what an old fashioned harvest
home used to be, requiring the wine
max er to hire any and all available help,
and ss rule all have to get along with
scant help. Nor is there any reason for
this exaciion, for, by due diligence OF
gaucers and other revenue officials,
sufficient surveillance could be main
tanned to protect the rights Of the gov
ernment, which one way should be As
well as another. But the great lever
that is weighing the grape industry down
is this assessment under which nearly
every distillef in this county is held, and
we think that you know that 1t Is made,
because we have made our returns after |
an old way which has been the proper |
way for many years past. We think by
referring to reports made for years past |
you will find that The state OF affairs has
long existed that is now complained OF
and If we are guilty of wrong it is be-
cause we have been taught |
wrong by the powers that we're. As
long as there were no penalties attached
we conse pted, although unwillingly, to
90 through the farce Of making believe
to work under a capacity regulation as
formulated by the government. We
consented (for we were 20 required TO
dol to make columns Of figures with
mathematical and never varying Preci-
sion. but when q new variation is re-
quired and the old one gets us Into
trouble. when we have not had any in |
timation OF its being wrong-that the
old way is so construed that our capA-
city is enlarged, aud we are liable for
brandy that we should have produced
although there is no evidence OF such |
production; following this it may not
be out Of the way to object to the whole
producing given formula, as being de.
fusion and not founded on facts. and
that we should ask that we be treated
as intelligent beinga, and call for such
laws for our government as may DO
based upon facts and not upon impossible
theories, promuigateu ~ ls~ IN
ject. We are fortunate agaio in talking
TO you as you have general knowledge
Of grapes and their varying conditions.
First--There Is the dinerence OF van.
cites, some having, when matured, even
in this favored locality, a., for instance.