Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-04

Meeting of the State Grape-Growers and
wine-Makers Yesterday.
SAN FRANCISCO, January 3d.-The meet
ing of the Grape-growers' and Wine
makers Association of California COM
menced at the Grand Hotel to-day In the
absence of the President l. de Turk of Santa
Rosa was elected to preside at the meeting.
John T. Doyle made speech on the sub
ject of Congressional legislation. He said !:
1T is known, probably TO all, that the leg
islatiOn which failed last year-I do not
speak of the pure-wine bill, that made no
advance at all-but beside that there was a
fractional gallon bill, to which there was
an amendment giving authority to use pure
brandy made from grapes to fortify wines,
free of tax, which passed the Senate in that
shape, was rejected in the House and
finally was passed by a Committee of
Conference, reported, with this proviso,
that the liberty to fortify, free of
tax, should only be conceded in favor
of wines that were to be exported.
Upon that our members of Congress, who
were not perfectly instructed in the details
of our wants, telegraphed and wrote to
here decided that if they were not per-
mitted to fortify all wines it was better to
kill the bill, and this was accordingly done.
| Subsequently many of US came to the con-
clusion that this was a mistake. The basis
of our conclusion was that a comparison
of the amount of wine exported and that
consumed in the country showed that
only about one million gallons were
| used here to some twenty or twenty-five
| million gallons that could be exported" 4"
He insisted that it was necessary, to secure
| the trade of South America, to give them
! 15 per cent. of alcohol. He presented for
hAft nf
| Italy, which, he claimed. was only equal
| to low grade of our Zinfandel, and yet
solo, when new, for 30 to 45 cents per
| gallon. He offered the following resolu-
tionS:
| ResOlred, That the increased and increasing
product of wine and the decline in prices render
| it highly important to enlarge the market for
| California wines, and that we urge on our dele
| CATION in Congress an earnest effort to secure
exemption from tax of pure Crane brandy used
| in fortify ing sweet wines.
ResOlUed, That while we desire the privilege OF
| fortlfying pure wine with pure grape spirits,
| free of internal revenue tax, we are of opinion
that if that privilege cannot be obtained for all
| purposes, our delegation in Congress should use
Its efforts to secure the privilege of fortifying
| for expectation; an / that d measure conceding
| the latter privilege should not be antagonized
merely because it fails to give us all we ask.
Mr.. Doyle accepted an amendment to in.
sert the word sweet" so that the privilege
OF fornfylng would apply to pure sw=e
wines" He urged the adoption of the res
| olution in the most earnest manner claim
ing that the privilege of fortifying free o.
tax was absolutely necessary to the exporta
ton of our wines.
| NJ. NJ. Estee said that we were all in favor
of the first resolution, and he was in favor
of both, with slight amendment in the
| phraseology, which was accepted by Mr.
| Doyle. Without desiring to obtrude his
| political opinions, he said that if the Presi
dents proposition that the tariff on luxur
les be stricken off is to prevail, then the
resolutions would do no good any way, anC
they might as well give up wine-makine
in California. He favored the appoint
ment of a committee which could act in
executive session relative to the local, do
mestic and foreign interests of the wine
| makers.
The resolutions were finally adopted anC
| the Secretary instructed to forward copies
to our Representatives in Congress.
Mr.. Estee moved that a committee O
twelve be appointed to take into consider.
alton the future of the grape and wine in.
dustries of this State, and TO formulate suct
action as may be necessary for the protec
ton of those industries, to be reported a
| the meetingo of the Association in March.
The resolution was unanimously adopted