The record-union., 1894-03-12
anBnl Bnkttts pntpper.


temporary only. It's effect, however, has
been to greatly adisturp prices and to
cause alarm on the part of domestic pro-
ducers in this country who are suffering
at present from a similar sudden increase
OF their own products.
The vintage of California in 1892 was
about u 100000 gallons; in 1893 the crop
amounted TO about 2, ,000,0 900 gallons. The
financial depression throughout the coun-
try affects vine-growers more than others.
| because their products are not only
treated as articles of luxury. subject to
diminution of demand during dull times.
but also entail excessive expenses of
storage whenever surplus is obtained
when money is scarce and difficult to
procure to sustain credit.
1t is plain TO see that in articles such as
wines commerce is subject to extraordi-
nary fluctuations of prices, and that under
an ad valorem system simportations
would take place principally in years of
| large production and be held in bond
for years, if necessary, to be sold when
! prices rise; and those who have specu-
lated on the former low prices can hold
the markets against all future importa-
tions, because under The law the ad
| Valorem rate is fixed in accordance with
the value at the time of Importation, and
not at the time of withdrawal from bond.
| Under such circumstances, the wine
trade would be at the mercy of specu-
lators, and the revenue collected would
not be in accordance with value at all.
After holding such wines without tax
| for three years in bond the speculator
would pay in accordance with the bank
rupt values of surplus stocks of three
years preceding, whereas the importer,
who would desire to bring in fresh lots
of the same class of goods, which had
been kept in the meantime in foreign
countries, would pay many times as
much tax.
1t appears, therefore, that whenever lad
valorem taxes are levied, the goods inn
ported into this country and held in bond
should be valued the same as the same
| class of goods which have been held in
foreign countries, and the tax should be
| in accordance with the value. at the time
of withdrawal from bond. However, in
| the matter of wines which have no fixed
or standard values, and which vary with
respect to almost every individual ship
ment, an ad valorem tax is wholly i'm
practicable, even though there were no
other reasons to be given.
! These foregoing statements are made
more especially to show that France i'm
ports more wines than she exports and
offers markets for the surplus of other
countries from which, however, by rea-
| son of her discriminating tariff, she ex-
the French foreign commerce in wines is
very much exaggerated in the public
mind.
When the average production of France
was 300, 100000 gallons of wine her aver
| age exports amounted to only 90, 600, 900
gallons. AT the present time the exports
are much less than formerly, and many
times less than the imports. France has,
therefore. no reason to extend her for
eign commerce in the expectation Of
wine. because it is shown she has not
sufficient for her home consumption.
There Is, however, a well-known indus
try in certain French ports in preparing
artificial and adulterated compounds,
both of wines and spirits, for such for
eign markets as admit the same without
proper care for the interests of their own
citizens. Such products are forbidden to
be sold in the French home market. but
special facilities are afforded for selling
the same in foreign markets. With re-
spect to the comparatively small portion
of high-grade, genuine wines and bran
dies which France can spare for the
American market, there is no demand on
the part of trade or consumers for lower
tariffs.
In this connection it may be noticed
that the pamphlet circulated among
members of Congress, entitled "a petit
tion of the importers aud consumers OF
still wines to the Senate Finance Com
miltee," signed anonymously, by the
simple word, Petitioners" was prepared
by w. G. Knowles, the agent of the Bor-
deaux wine syndicate, and is entirely
misleading, so far as it pretends to be the
petition of importers and consumers of
French still wines in the United States,"
as it has not been authorized by such and
is solely in the interest of the Bordeaux
syndicate. Several of the best known
and most highly reputed Bordeaux wine
merchants, Messrs. Barton and Guestier
among the number, have refused to join
this syndicate, and are known to be op-
posed to the arguments set forth.
With respect to the well-known pro-
duction of artificial brandies in France,
reference can be made to many of the re-
ports of American Consuls, published by
the State Department, and to the state
ments attributed to MIR. Knowles, which
have been published in the press.