Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-05-16

WINEGROWERS ARE FOR PROTSC-
TON TO 7s,EIR INDUSTRY.

Pure Grape Wines Are Underso1d by For
eign stuff Concocted With Cheap Alcohol
and Poisonous Drugs-Low Prices Mean
Ruin to American Vineyards.
The common enemy Of pure native and
imported wines is the producer of artii-
cial and compounded or initiated wines.
There are no laws in this country which
prevent such competition, and all efforts
to procure such have SO far failed. Ini-
tatlons are so cunningIy made that only
the experienced faster can detect them.
Yet the medical profession notes the diff
ferences in effects on the consumer, as
he does the differences between natural
and artificial mineral waters. The chief
constituent of value in initiated wines is
alcohol The present low price of our
native wines has reduced the home pro-
duction Of artificial wines to minimum
because the cost of tax paid spirits pre-
cludes profit. When our business re-
wives and our prices again become re-
munerative, we foresee the revival of
bogus wines.
To illustrate: With the use of grain
spirits it costs under our present internal
revenue laws 2! cents for each degree of
alcohol in artificial wine. An imitation
10 per cent strong made with distilled
spirits must start out with cost of 80
cents plus cost of the other materials,
not exceeding generally 2 cents gall
lon if wholly artificial. IF small por-
ton of natural wine is added, the COM
pound escapes our internal revenue re-
strictions, but the cost prevents present
competition with pure wines. The spe-
cific duty of so cents per gallon equally
reduces the importation of artificial
wines. So also does the present duty on
cherry juice, prune juice, ETC., reduce
the evils coming from that direction.
An ad valorem duty on still wines would
in effect permit foreigners to produce and
sell in this country compounds as wines
which our own people are prevented
from doing by the internal revenue tax
on spirits and would assa1 the legiti-
mate interests of native producers of
pure wines. In Hamburg proof spirits
worth only Is cents per gallon, and be-
ing the chief element of cost in COM
pounding artificial wines would enable
foreigners to compete against home pro-
ducers, who must pay, as is now pro-
posed, 81 per gallon tax if the ad valo-
rem duty on wines is agreed to. The
same could be done in Canada.
It is evident that all articles contain
ing alcohol, whether fermented or dis
titled, should bear no less a rate of duty
than the rate Of internal revenue on spir-
its, reckoned according to strength. At
81 per gallon for proof spirits, which
contain 80 per cent of alcohol, the inter
nal revenue tax would be at the rate Of
2 cents for each degree. Therefore, if
we are to have an internal revenue tax
of 81 per proof gallon Of spirits, the tar
if law should provide in every instance
where alcohol is contained in imported
goods that the duty shall in no case be
less than cents for each per centum of
absolute alcohol in addition to whatever
ad valorem or specific rate is fixed for
the product containing such alcohol. In
many cases the tax On the alcohol should
Ue the same as the tax on foreign spirits,
as in the instances of cherry juice, prune
Juice, prune wine, cherries preserved in
alcohol, etc, which largely enter into
the compromising of spirituous beverages.
An ad ValOrem duty on fruits pre-
served in spirits is a prohibition against
the production of similar articles in this
country. So also would be reduction
in the duty on cherry juice if reduced
below the internal revenue rate On spir-
its. Rectifed spirits form the base of
ordinary brandies and WHISTLES in COM
mon consumption, distinguished as such
from straight" goods. Rectified alco-
holic beverages are mostly compounded
from neutral spirits Of very high alco-
holic strength, favored with various ma
terials, among which are frequently
prune juice, cheap sherry, angelica, mus
catel, raisins, ETC., reduced to standard
proof with water, colored with burnt
sugar and characterized by an addition
Of genuine straight brandies or Whistles,
in more or less proportion as the prod
uct is to be relatively cheap.
Under an ad valorem tariff Of 100 per
cent on wines it will be possible to in
port foreign alcohol reduced to % per
cent, or half proof, favored to initiate
certain kinds Of fortified wines, such as
sherries, malagas, madeiras, etc., of poor
quality, containing nearly all the mate
rails used in compromising and rectify-
ing certain alcoholic beverages, includ-
ing the water needed to reduce the
strength. Such compounds can be made
in Hamburg for Is cents per proof gal
lon, would pay duty at the rate of scents
for compounds reduced to IS per cent
and could be sold to rectifers, cost of
transportation and fair profit included,
duty paid, at the rate of 40 cents per
proof gallon, the same material in this
country that would be displaced being
taxed 81 per proof gallon.-Charles A.
Wetmore.
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