The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
WINE MAKERS
TO COMBINE
ON NEW BASIS
California Concern to
Reorganize.
CONVENTION IN THIS CITY
PRESIDENT HENRY CROKER
ISSUES AN ADDRESS.
Says Viticultural Prospects Are Ex-
cellent-Urges Cooperation Of
80 Per Cent of the Inter
ests Involved.
CONVENTION IN THIS CITY
PRESIDENT HENRY CROKER
ISSUES AN ADDRESS.

The period of five years for which the
California Wine-makers Corporation was
organized will expire with the present
years vintage, and President Henry j.
Crocker is now arranging preliminaries
looking to the reorganization of the con-
Germ upon a sounder and more harmonious
basis. His suggestion is that a conven-
ton be held in this city at which plans
may be perfected for solid and lasting
organization of the wine interests. He
has issued an address on the subject
which will be forwarded to every wine
maker and grower in California.
Copies of the address will also be sent
to the banks of England which have re-
quested exhaustive information about
California's wine industry. This tends to
show that foreign capital is desirous of
interesting itself in one of the most pro-
ductive resources of the State
The California Wine-makers' Corpora
ton was never in better condition than
1t is at the present time," said President
Crocker. 1.-THE lawsuits brought against
it have all been settled, one in particu-
lar in which Judgment was obtained by
the California Wine Association for $780,
600, and appealed by us to the Supreme
Court, having been compromised for
$S000 1 am happy to say that the deal
ers have come together and have recog-
nized the Importance of cooperating with
the growers, and they have united to pro-
mote harmony. The corporation has been
strengthened by the addition of Lack
mann & jacob, who will purchase wine
from it.
"The prospects from a viticultural
standpoint are excellent The vines
which were made sick by last year s
drought have been put in splendid shape
In his address Mr.. Crocker says the
vineyard interests form one Of the great
est natural resources OF Calltornla, ana
have upward of 500 900 capital invest
ed. While the wine industry never looked
better at present, the outlook for the fu-
ture is not SO reassuring. The principal
difficulties with which the management OF
the corporation has had to contend nave
arisen from the discomfort and lack of
cooperation on the part of the members
themselves. Many of them not under
standing business methods necessary 10
achieve success, have grown restless un-
der delayed payments which the nght 1or
the markets rendered necessary, and the
corporation management has had to con-
tend with not only It's natural eheHlleSi
but its own members.
The example of the raisin growers, VINO
have formed an association OF 2oOO mem
bers, is cited as a good one to follow.
By their organization the price or ra1slnS
in the sweat boxes went from 112 to over
3 cents a pound, and the value of the
years product increased approximately
81 .4OO, 900 The secret of their success lies
in their unanimity and harmony OF ac-
ton The prune growers of the State
have recently come together and no doubt
they will accomplish similar results If
they pursue the same tactics as the raisin
men.
Those most familiar with the subject
say the WinemakerS should reorganiZe
next year on new and better basis, TAX
ing knowledge and wisdom from the mis-
takes of the past. They should follow the
example of the raisin growers, who have
98 per cent of their total number en-
rolled in one corporate body. There can
be no hope for permanent prosperity in
the wine business unless this is done. The
grape grower and winemaker, under a 80
per cent cooperation, could control the
situation to such an extent as to estab-
lish a steady price for grapes and wines.
At least $40 a ton would be the ruling
price of grapes, and the certificates of
the corporation would pass as current as
a gold note among the bankers. The price
of wine would be in proportion and placed
at a figure that would give the wine
maker a good profit on his investment.
The dealer would recognize steady and
ture which had before surrounded the
wine business. If the grape growers and
winemakers will band themselves to the
extent of 80 per cent of the interests in
volved Mr.. Crocker will reorganiZe the
corporation on such sound basis that
It will exist for years to come.
The plan of reorganization should have
its inception in the different wine dis
tricts, where meetings could be called and
initial organization be made that would
send delegates to a convention in San
Francisco to form a more lasting organi-
zation. The dire effects of failure to organ