The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-05-25

good citizens of our republic
should make themselves heard
with regard TO Mr.. DamOn's wine
bill.
Let me state facts that seem
not to be familiar to ALL Under
existing statutes all liquors with
out distinction, if containing less
than % per cent. of alcohol, pay
the very moderate duty of 10
cents per gallon. If the alcoholic
strength is above p and below 81
per cent. the duty is 81 a gallon,
and for spirits-everything over
80 per cent.-it is at least $3.50 a
gallon. Surely our laws already
sufficiently encourage the use of
the lighter beverages, although
the term eight is used in a Pick
wickian sense when applied to a
liquor containing p per cent. of
alcohol.
Draught beer contains 3 to 81
per cent. of alcohol. Bottled beer
and ale is generally somewhat
stronger but does not often eX-
coed 9 per cent. alcohol.
The japanese sake contains
about 16 per cent. alcohol, but
produces narcotic effects in addi- |
ton to alcoholic intOXication-a
sufficient justification for legis |
latiOn discOuraging their use as
long as this objection does not |
apply to grape wines.
Natural grape wine may con
tain from 10 to possibly 16 per
cent. of alcohol. \ larger per
centage is evidence that the wine
has been fortified by addition of |
spirit. California wines imported |
into this country nearly all have
an alcoholic strength exceeding
Is per cent. Evidently they have
been fortified almost up to the
limit of the law admitting them
at a low tariff. If the limit were
changed to Is per cent, they
would be kept just below that
limit. JudiciOus use on the part
of the vender of aqua pura and
saccharum album would give the
customer a beverage no stronger
than sake, pleasanter to the pal
ate, and less pernicious in its eff
fecks, at a cost for Government
tari9f of only 10 to II cents per
gallon.
a low tariff limit of 16 per
cent. would secure to the custom |
err the same advantages, with bet |
ter assurance that he was getting |
the pure juice of the grape, al
Though the middle men would |
lose an opportunity for profit.
Now what would be the effect |
of admitting grape wines below
Is per cent. in alcoholic strength
Tor below IS per cent, if you
please), duty free? l venture to
say that it would not make the
wine materially cheaper to the
customer. At all events, for the
good of the country, it is cheap
enough as it is, and there is no
possibility that it would be suf-
ficiently cheapened to lead to any
great increase in consumption.
Any effect the proposed Act |
might have to cheaper California |
wine would produce a CORE
spending cheapening in the price
of the competing sake, if the duty |
on that liquor were left I'M
changed. The passage of the Act
would therefore cut off $4,000 or
$4,000 of the Government reye-
nueS, without materially benefit
ing the California wine producers
and we should have the humilia-
ton of having taken action mani
testify detrimental to the good of
the country, whose native pOpula-
ton is easily seduced by the wine
cup to fatal excuses, with moth
ing to offer in excuse except eX-
pediency. 1t would be the merit
ed contempt and not the favor of
our California countrymen that
will be the reward of our virtue.
The Committee on Commerce
give as the first of the two rea-
sons why they favor the proposed {
Act of Minister Damon. that ''its !
tendency is to substitute light .
wines in place of strong liquors.