Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-21
WASHINGTON CULLINGS.
The Objections Of California Wine Pro-
duceTS Folly Answered.
TANNER TANS SECRETARY NOBLE
He Also Claims that Harrison Car.
ried Indiana on the Promises
Made to Veterans.
ImHmAL DISPATCHES TO THE RrooRD-UNoN.l
FoRrIFY1NG WINES.

The Commissioner Answers Fully the
Complaints From California.
WASHINGTON, October 20th-California
wine producers have lately complained
greatly of the severe restrictions placed on
their production of fruit brandy for the for
LITIGATION of sweet wines, claiming that un-
necessary vigilance was used over their
distilleries. 1t has been claimed by wine
growers that larger number than usual OF
gaugers have been placed over the brandy
distilleries in the South, and that Special
Revenue. Agents Eldridge and Thomas
have been particularly pernicious in their
activity this season.
So great has the excitement over the
matter grown that Congressman Vandever
wrote ]. De Barth Shorb late in September,
asserting that the internal revenue was
being run by whisky ring in its own in
terest.
The Los Angeles Board of Trade adopted
long series of resolutions denouncing the
action of the revenue authorities, and
Senator Stanford and Representative Nor
row. upon the representation of Southern
California wine-growers, sent long tele-
gram to the Secretary of the Treasury re-
ouesting that agents Eldridge and Thomas
be transferred to new fields of usefulness.
fend themselves, and both state that they
had not been on the field for a month.
The Internal Revenue Bureau, however, is
much disturbed over the charges that it is
dominated by whisky ring" and hostile
to the California wine interests, and to-
night Commissioner Mason authorized the
agent of the California Associated Press to
! make the following statement:
The Internal Revenue Bureau is not hos
tile TO the wine industry in California, nor
in any other section of the United States
In the collection of tax from fruit brandy
produced from grapes and from offal OF
wineries, the law is alike, and applies to all
sections of the country, whether produced
from grapes or other fruits, and the reeula-
tons and instructions governing local Off
GERS are alike and applicable to all.
It is the policy of the bureau to enforce
the laws and regulations referred to in
fair and impartial manner, without
payers, and the officers are prohibited from
indulging in harassing, overbearing or I'm.
gentlemanly conduct in the discharge Of
their official duties.
1t is reported to this Office that the prac.
tice of using illicit brandy spirits for the
fortifying of the sweet wine product d
California has grown 10 such dimensions
that the wines of that character can nc
longer be produced by honest taxpayers al
profit and that a special branch of the
wine industry has fallen into the hands Of
a class of irresponsible men, who produce
| a crop and sell it at price which proves
| conclusiyely that the wines were never
| fortified with spirits, upon which take:
have been paid. This fact is said to be well
established, and admitted to by every well
| advised grape-grower and wine-producer in
| the State.
Such practices would not only be hurt
full, but absolutely fatal to the success o.
| every honest grape-grower and wine pro-
Queer on the Pacific coast.
No matter what the sympathy of the
| Commissioner of Internal Revenue may be
with reference to the amendment of the
| law so as to admit of the use of free spirits
| for fortifying sweet wines. the law, as il
now stands, forbids it, and the Commits
sioner deems it his duty to enforce the law
| 1t is stated that the number of officials
employed in California this year for the
i purpose of visiting distilleries and oversee
| ing the collection of tax on fruit brandy. is
it is true that special gaugers have
been employed in both districts, it is also
true that less number of special deputies
have been employed. This was done with
a view to increasing the efficiency
] of the force and at the same time of reduc.
| ing the expense, the gauger being able tc
do all that was before done by both officers
thus saving of double expense, or nearly
| so. The selection of the men appointed to
| fill these offices was a matter purely local
to the two collection districts in California,
all of them being recommended or Endorsed
by the influence found necessary to secure
the recommendation of the respective Col
lectors, and on whose Endorsements the
Commissioner acted in his recommends
tons to the Secretary of the Treasury, and
if they have been honest, industrious and
intelligent in the discharge of their official
duties it is honorable to them and COM
plimentary to those who Endorsed them,
aud flattering to the Collectors under whose
orders the work has been done, and very
gratifying TO the Commissioner.
1t is further stated that all the men en-
ployed in this work, with the exception of
eighteen special gaugers, in the two dis
tricts are old and experienced officers,
from the Collectors down, all having a
practical knowledge of the duties required.