Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-14
THE L. J. ROSE co. LIMITED.
The Experts Report ON the COndi-
tion of Sunny slope.


of London, better known as the Barton
Vineyard, Fresno, registered at the
W estminster hotel in this city several
days ago. He came here at the instance
of the directors of the L. J. Rose Com
pany, Limited, to investigate and report
upon the affairs Of the company at
Sunny Slope" San Gabriel valley.
Mr. Philip Pavy, who came here when
Sunny Slope was sold to the English
people as general manager, was recently
recalled, and Mr.. E. G. Bichowsky, the
former assistant manager, was placed in
charge as general manager.
The stockholders in London have been
very much disgusted at getting no divi-
dends on their investment, and have
been trying to learn the cause.
They had painted their prospects
had been so painted for them by the
ipromoters' who talked them out of
their coin on promise of large returns.
These English shareholders have con-
ceived the idea that the poor results
were owing to mismanagement on the
part of Mr.. Pavy. The promoters" no
doubt, industriously foster these views of
the case. The full account of the dis
content in England was given in
the HERALD few days ago in clipping
from the London edition of the New
York Herald.
Mr.. Barton has gone carefully over the
property, nearly 1000 acres, with a
dozen flowing wells on it, barns and
wineries, and improvements OF very
great value. He has sought into the
condition of the property and its value at
present. He will at once furnish to the
head of the company at London his
views of the case. He will report that
the lamentably poor results are in no
wise to be attributed to bad management.
Mr.. Pavy, he found, had been thor
oughly honest in his management of af-
fairs, as his books and accounts show. He
may not have been as capable as man
of experience in this section would have
been; still his mistakes do not count for
much, and are not the cause of the con-
dition of affairs. MIR. Bichowsky Mr..
Barton finds to be very capable man,
who has profted much by his experience
in the months he has spent on the
ranch.
Mr.. Barton thinks the trouble is that
too much by far was paid for the prop
erty by the stockholders. Passing over
the question of what was paid l..
]. Rose, the stock was capitalized in
London in 9140, 900 sterling of preferred
per cent. shares; e150,000 sterling or
dinary shares, and 100000 sterling
debentures, or mortgage bonds,
bearing 6 per cent. interest.
This is in all $500, 900 sterling, 81, SOC, 900
for the 1000 acres. That is at the rate
Of $3.50 per acre all round. 1t will be
remembered that the British Vice
Consul at Los Angeles valued the prop
erty at about half that sum. If Mr.
Mortimer's estimate be correct, there is
not far 10 look for good deal of the
cause for trouble in the company.
The next influence to which DE dis
agreeable state Of affairs is attributable is
the unsatisfactory condition of the wine
market. Soon after the l.. J. Rose
Company, Limited, was formed, the
price of all sorts of wines fell fully so
per cent from the current rates before
that time. Here was looping off of all
the profits OF the concern at one fell
swoop. The market for brandy is even
worse than that for wines.
Then followed on the heels of this the
scale pests that destroyed the orange
trees and reduced the great output OF the
Sunny Slope orchards to nothing. This
was followed by the vine disease which cut
off large proportion of the grape crop.
This is surely quite a strong array of
reasons for poor results, and removes all
cause for wonder that the stockholders
do not get returns.
"a 70 fba rop,oI,, ar b. kl,a f,t,.a
Mr.. Barton will have this to say to the
company: The old vineyard of mission
vines on the upper mesa is 30 far gone
that it is worthless. He will recommend
the roofing up OF these vines, and the re-
placing of them with orange trees of the
Mediterranean sweet variety. There are
about twenty-five acres of vineyard to be
treated thus. The other portions
of the vineyard he finds in 81
hopeful state that he will advise taking
care of them. He thinks an impover.
ished state OF the soil has much to do
with the death of the vines, and he will
recommend liberal use of fertilize 8, q
policy he has always pursued in Fresno
with his own vineyards.
Mr.. Barton thinks the scale pests are
done for here, and with proper care it is
perfectly safe to plant orange trees with
out limit. He thinks it is only
q question of time until the
vine disease will be overcome and this
industry set on its feet again.
But here he thinks there is room for
our legislators, National, State and local
to do some good work. To go back ward :,
the vines and trees are taxed to death.
Wheat land is assessed at $40 an acre,
orange and vine lands at 500 and up
wards. Then the vines and trees are
assessed at as much more, making the
assessment ten times that Of wheat land.
Then comes in the Federal Government
and levies tax of ninety cents gallon on
all spirits distilled from grapes, includ-
ing that used in the wineries in fortifying
sweet wines. Mr.. Barton states that in
the present condition of the wine maj.
ket it is impossible to pay these
taxes. In Fresno the people
are drying everything possible.
What is not dried will be made into high
proof spirits and shipped to Germany.
He thinks it is the duty of the State and
of the Nation to encourage and foster
the wine industry, and not to crush it
out of existence.
Certainly, coming from man of Mr..
Bsrton's experience, extending over SO
many years, and proven to be valuable
by the succe.s he has ACHE ye1, these
views are deserving of careful attention
He is one of the most successful
vineyardists in the State. His place in
Fresno is an earthly paradise. He has