Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-08-04
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The following letter was prepared,
signed by the grape growers Of thai
place, and sent to the Commissioner o.
Internal Revenue at Washington:
ANAHErM, July p, 1885.
Hon. JOSEPH s. MILLER, COMMISSIONS
rR OF INTERNAL REvkNUE-Dedr Sir
| The undersigned, grape growers and dis
tillers OF Anaheim and adjacent neigh
borhood, met to. day to take into consid
GRAFTON what we should do to be relieved
from the unjust and sweeping assess
| ment which has been made against dis
| tillers. We are not even sure that We
understand the exact grounds upon
| which this assessment Is made. As we
understand 1t, It Is upon suppositiou
| that we could have made or might have
made more brandy than we have paid
taxes upon, and this Is the theory OF o
special agent who admits that he is not
a practical distiller and has no knowl.
edge about grape or refuse distilling.
He has made the discovery that it Ia
| possible to ill distill beyond the
working capacity as given by
| the government survey, as made by
their agent appointed for that special
purpose. This theory may appear
plausible at the frat casual look or in.
| ouiry. but 40 practical distiller would be
led iuto such error, for he would know
ct once that each distill has an especial
capacity toitself, and that the point where
when filled works with the greatest re.
suit is the point given BY the govern
ment survey, and this survey as given
| is our guide and the compulsory point
| that we have to work from. To fill a
distill above Its working capacity would
only make it necessary to work very
| slow, for the kettle IL rushed would boil
over and II absolutely full no distilling
could be done at all until enough had
| boiled out to make o space where alco.
holic vapors could form and 60 over
into the worm, there to condense into
spirits more or less strong. Were it,
however, possible to fill distill above
the working capacity, as given by the
government survey, even them there
would be no gain, for 1t would take
| longer to fill the dissill and Longer to run
| it of, and thus what would be gained
by getting more brandy out Of each dis
till or each boiling would be lost by the
decrease Of the number OF boilings in
twenty -four hours.
But it may be As well to go to the
root Of this matter Mr.. Webb, the
special agent referred to. has asserted
that the grape men and wine men Of this
southern county especially have been
using brandy withont paying tax. when
used to fortify sweet wines like Port,
Angelica, Sherry, etc, and that the be-
fore mentioned n,odus operandi has been
resorted to to get this additional brandy.
This, however, cannot be maintained,
for it ia not o fact. That brandy has
been used may be a justifiable belief.
The price that sweet wines are sold at,
and have to be sold at to meet foreign
competition. would emphasize it as q
fact. II is, too, common circumstance
which hiss been believed by every reve-
nue. officer who has at all been CONVEX
SAINT with the wine-making aud grape
distilling interest Of this state, but it
cause 1t was necessity; fret, to make
the grapes into saleable product; sec
ond to make it possible to compete with
these products with like imported pro-
ducts from France. The matter stood
thus: II the revenue was collected, or
rather. II the laws were strictly en-
forced, all such sweet wines. at least
very largely, would cease to be made.
and as q result there would be no reve-
nue. for the government anyway, and
our grape industry would be crippled to
. very great extent.
As You may not understand the pecu-
liar conditions existing in these southern
counties. we will make brief state.
ment. In the fail when grapes are ripe
we begin vintage when the grapes show,
say. p per cent. Of sugar. II the sea-
son is cool then there may be two or
three weeks when the per cent. will not
exceed 25 per cent, but generally we
have terms Of hot weather and the soil
being exhausted Of moisture the percent
age Of sugar lby reason Of the grapes
drying, thus losing their waterl will run
up much higher. Take grapes with not
over 25 per cent. Of sugar and they are
IN = rahle condition 20 nake natural
and cared for, keep sound for years.
Bat grapes that run much higher in SUI
gar cannot be fermented out dry, but
will retain after fermentation more or less
sugar. and this moiety Of sugar will cause
disturbance after fermentation and
turn the wine sour tmilk sour, as It is
termed) and such wines have no com.
mercial value excepting for diatilling.
But such overripe grapes are especially
adapted for makipg our best ports and
other wines carrying more or less sugar,
and by adding certain amount Of
brandy, fermentation is checked at any
given stage of the sweetness, and the
brandy which checks the fermentation
also keeps it thereafter. 1t is true that
brandy can be made out of such defec-
tive wine, but the brandy market is fully
supplied. 1t is continually near the
overhowing point Of demand, and al
though gradually increasing in demand,
yet the market would not stand any con-
siderable increase without breaking to
such low prices that it would entail ruin
wines are made, and must be made If our
grape crop is to be utilized.
You are aware that there Ia bill be-
fore Congress permitting free spirit.
You are aware that California takes
more pride in her grape industry than
any other production, and no doubt you
believe with Us that the free spirit bill
is reasonable request to ask for. It
should be held that the producer should
have as much protecting care as the
manufacturer, and to protect the yitlcul-
turist makes employment for thousands
of people, young and old; makes happy,
prosperous homes and gives us pure,
beneficial home products to take the
place of those Of doubtful purity and
foreign make. 1t gives employment to
our own people, instead Of buying the
labor Of other countries.
Most of the grape growers Of this part
OF California embarked in this industry
years ago. What they have is the ac,
cumulation Of years of toll. The reve-
nue. laws have been an after censidera.
ton, and Calitornis's grape industry has
paid millions of dollars revenue, and
willingly, too. 1t is yet in its infancy,
and ii it is protected in its infancy and
experimental stage. il will continue in
its increasing revenue. 1t may be stated
rs fact. although said by ourselves.
that the vineyardists Of this State as
body are the equal for honesty, industry
and morality Of any equal number Of
men ia any other pursuit. or industry,
and 1t will not be deemed an unreasona-
BILE request when we ask that the laws
which are to govern us should be just
and equal There should be plain law
governing distllling based upon a knowl-
adoa If tho nj, rau;t and made in suah n