The morning call., 1893-02-10
SIIRS THEM UP.
The Wine Men Score the
Napa Wits"
SOME MORE RESOLUTIONS.
They Are Adopted by the Commits
sion, Which Does Not Want
to Be Abolished.

Tho news of the action of the wine
growers OF Napa County in adopting set
of resolutions favoriDg the adjustment of
the State Viticultural Commission. as pub
lished In yesterdays CALL. created quite a
stir among the wine merchants and owners
of vineyards in various parts of the State.
Considerable Indignation was felt when
1t was learned that the meeting at st.
Helena was only attended by dozen wine
men. while they protested to speak for the
6O00 wine-growers of the State.
The feelings of the wine men were still
further ruffied yesterday when they learned
that Assemblyman Kahn of San Francisco.
and not Gesford OF Napa. as was expected,
had introduced in the Legislature bill pro-
viding for the repeal of all acts relating to
the Viticultural Commission and the trans
fer of all its powers and duties to the State
Board Of Horticulture.
The Viticultural Commission did not
expect he attack, although it was known
that there was complaint in Napa on
account Of the Robinson report on
phyiloXera in the county. But as soon
as the members learned that their reputa-
tons and position had been attacked, they
did not let the grass grow under their feet.
and take some action on the situation. The
members OF the commission are not poll
ticians. They are such men as j. de
Barth Shorb Of San Gabriel, l. de Turk Of
Santa Rosa and John T. Doyle, men all
large wine-growers and deeply interested
in the future Of the industry.
The secretary Of the Vitcuitura Com
mission, acting under instructions, notified
the mem bers of the executive committee of
that body OF the Napa resolutions and the
introduction OF the adjustment bill in the
Legislature.
A meeting of the executive committee of
the commission was held yesterday after
noon. at which Charles Bunschu presided.
The members discussed the whole situation
and finally adopted the following resOu-
tions:
Resolred. That the executive committee OF the
Board OF STATE NticuItura Commissioners has
heard with regret Of tile action OF some st. Hell
ena ~ine-growers calling for The abolishmrnt OF
this board.
Resolued That while the recently published
report on The condition OF the vineyards of Napa
County may have been discouraging reading,
this committee does not deem that anything
could be gained bv any c0ncealment or modih-
cation If the facts; and, further, that while err
tain PERSONS may feel aggreyed, the report was
published with view OF serving the interests OF
the entire Industry. in obtaining information on
phYlloXeFa, resistant vines. etc.
Resolted, Thai this committee, acting for the
board, deems that the action OF some 81. Helena
producers Is not cal eQ LOT Dy Inc IdcLS ana mat
The board Will continue TO act for the best
interests of all concerned, leaving judgment 10
unbiased consideration.
ReSotUed, That as viticniturists and not as
State officials we would regret exceedingly to
have he Stare coguitiOn OF our Industry with
drawn, and The work which has been appreciated
not only throughout The State and country but
inflated abroad brought TO an end.
Resoired, That inaSmuch The members of
this board have served without compensation,
we have nothing at stake in Tbs matter except
honor
have The business and The operations of tue com
mission fully brought before the public.
After the meeting l. de Turk, one of the
largest wine growers Of the State, was seen
by a CALL reporter and asked what he
thought Of the action of the Napa County
men.
1T would not be dignifed In me to ex-
press my feelings in this matter" said Mr..
de Turk. These kckers are certainly
very short-sighted and narrow-mnded and
have no idea of the amount OF mischief and
injury they are doing to great industry.
But the idea of a few wine-producers in
Napa speaking for the COCO wine-groWers
Of the State is absurd.
''As a wine man with all my money in
this business, and as a citizen having at
heart the Interests of the State. L must say
that the development of the wine business
in California has been largely due to the
work of the Niticuitural Commission.
There are so many evidences of this work
that Il would take me long time to tell you
Of il.
I'm ten years, from an Investment Of
$50. 0G0, 600, the wine business now repre-
SCENTS 500, Zoo. The growth of this in
dustry was the result of the directions and
information given out by the commission
on the subjects of wine-growing, distilla-
ton, fermentation. pruning. the planting of
varieties, blending. ETC. When the CON-
mission was started there were only few
varieties of grapes planted in the State !;
now, after ten years Of disseminating valu-
able information Indispensable TO the intelli-
gent and progressive wine man, there are
over 900 different varieties planted aud
grown in this State.
why. this very commission was the first
to show from the experiments of its MEN,
bers and experts that the coast counties
were proper for the cultivation of light,
dry wines. and the interior counties for
heavy, hot wines, a knowledge which has
saved investors alone thousands of dollars.
Some say that there Is no more work tor
the Vtticultural Commission to do. Yet
France. after making wines for over one
thousand years, has mission SINH
lar to ours. but with greater powers and
more scope. 1t is essential TO the wine in
dustry of France.
There was absolutely no information
TO be obtained on wlne-growing in any
English books before the establishment OF
the Niticutural Commission The books
on wines were all in French. German and
Italian, languages unknown 10 most of the
growers. The best in these foreign works
were tran slated by the commission for the
benefit of the grower. while many original
works were added, being the result of years
of experiment. comparison and discussion"
Il am confident" said Mr.. de Turk, that
the Napa wine men wilnever appear before
the legislative Committee which will have
charge of the adjustment bin for the rea-
son that they have no legs to stand on,
while we can furnish abundant proof from
all the great wiue-grOwers in the State that
the commission has been beneficial and more
than paid for itself by developing one of the
greatest Industries of California"
The executive committee of the Viticul-
tural Commission also decided to send a
committee Of wine men to Sacramento TO
appear before the committee having charge
OF the bin IN order to present the case OF the
commission TO the legislators so they can
have some idea Of what it has done since its