Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-02
CALIFORNIA WINES.
Some of the Points in Pending Con-
gressiona1 Bills.

greSS1Onal Bills.
| SAN Francisco, March 1st.-The wine
| makers and grape-growers met at Platts
| Hall to-day to discuss legislation looking
to the protection and promotion of the
States yiticultural interests. The sweet
| wine bill introduced in the House by our
| Representatives was approved, and its pas
sage recommended.
| Clunie's bill for the bonding privilege
was also approved, as was the bill relating
/ to the tax on imitation wiae.
| A committee was appointed to consider
| the advisability of employing an agent at
| Washington to look after all bills affecting
| wine interests, and furnish information.
| A dozen or more bills are now pending
| in Congress, all relating in greater or less
degree, to the prosperity of viticulture in
California.
The principal bill of interest to our pro-
ducers is No. las, introduced by Congress-
man McKenna, providing for the fortifica-
| ton of sweet wines free of tax. 1t enacts
that any authorized producer and distiller
may use, free of tax, so much of wine
spirits separated by him as may be neces-
sary for the proper fertilization of sweet
wine and the preservation of its saccha-
rine matter. The spirits so used. free
of tax, shall not be in excess of the
amount required to introduce into the
sweet wines an alcoholic strength equal
| to IA per cent. of the volume of the wine
and the wine, after fertilization, shall not
contain more than "a per cent. of alcohol.
The use of wine spirits, free of tax, shall
be confined to the months of August to
April inclusive. Various details for keep
ing account of spirits made use of in sweet
wine are considered in the law, and pro-
vision is made for wine-makers obtaining
from bonded warehouse, free of tax. any
amount of spirits they may require and
which they may not have been able to
make themselves.
Bill No. 1872, introduced by Congress-
man Clunie, amends the Act relating to
brandy production; provided for an I'M
limited storage period in bonded ware
houses, the tax to be paid only before
withdrawal, and not within three years,
as the present law provides. Bill No.
5,367 introduced by Mr.. McKenna. is SIM
liar, only making the bonded limit five
years.
Another bill, No. 1863, introduced by
Mr.. McKenna, amends the Revised Statutes
in relation to the tax on imitation wines.
1t provides for a tax of 10 cents on each
pint package and 20 cents on each quart of
all beverages containing alcohol and desig-
mated and sold as wine, or as its substitute,
not made from grape juice, or in accordance
with the recognized method of wine-mak-
ing. Beverages made from the Juice of
fruits, or berries, shall be exempt from this
tax, if properly labeled and branded.
Bills Nos. ISL, $50, Oil, 1914, 621, 821, 653,
623 and 1898, all introduced into the House
chiefly by members from the South, all
favor the repeal Of the tax on distilled
liquors, and some include the tax on to-
bacco.
The sweet wine bill and that relating to
an unlimited bonded period will undoubt-
edly be favored by producers generally.
Those asking for the repeal of the tax on
all spirits are not considered especially de-
sirsbly for wine makers, for many reasons.
The State Commissioners have already
sent memorial to Congress expressing
their desires. This favored having fruit
spirits only free of tax for fertilization pur-
poses, and set forth That in the judg-
ment of this Board the internal revenue
tax on distilled spirits should not be re-
pealed, except as regards spirits used in the
arts and fruit spirits used in the fortifca-
ton of sweet wines and dry wines for ex-
portation only. That no general reduction
in the tax on distilled spirits intended for
use as beverages should be permitted, ex-
cept on fruit spirits, and on them only, SO
far as may be necessary to equalize cost of
production between grain and fruit spirits
The abolition OF the tax on fruit brandies
should be opposed as q measure dangerous
in the extreme. That our Congressman
should be impressed with the truth that the
market value of alcohol controls the aver
age market value on ali ordinary wines,
because alcohol is the base of all limitations
Of wine. That the bonding period for
brandy should be extended to FIVE years.