The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-17
WINE MAKERS
FINALLY REACH
AN AGREEMENT
Formulate and Adopt
"a Contract.
PROVIDES FIVE-YEAR COMPACT
SIGNATURES WILL BE SOLICITED
NEXT WEEK.
If Fifty-Five Per Cent Of the Produc-
ers Do Not Combine the Big Cor
poration Will Be Dis
banded.
PROVIDES FIVE-YEAR COMPACT
SIGNATURES WILL BE SOLICITED
NEXT WEEK.

The convention of wine-makers to de-
eide upon the future of the California
Wlne-makers corporation held It's third
meeting yesterday afternoon to hear the
report OF the committee on resolutions
and contracts. The committee was COM
posed of W. j. Hotchkiss, c. F. Monteal-
agre, R. c. Terry, E. w. Putnam, c. C.
Hussman, R. T. Pierce, L. Feusier, Will
liam Rued and William Bornhorst Their
report was somewhat voluminous and
dealt with the technical difficulties that
have confronted the members and the
board Of directors in the past five years
1t recommended several changes calcu-
lated to improve the business methods of
the corporation and after some discussion
was adopted
Aside from the contract the suggestions
to the directors favor the organization of
district associations, to be comprised of
dry Wine makers who are ready to sign
the contract and take an interest in pro-
noting not only the welfare of their own
section but of the whole industry The
report further recommends the calling of
an annual meeting to elect directors for
the current year, with the following ap-
portonment: Sonoma 2, Alameda and
Contra Costa l, Napa l, Santa Clara and
Santa Cruz 2, and 3 at large, making a
total of g.
The contract over which there has been
so much trouble calls for another five
y
sell all the product of his vineyard, or
wines that may be made for him, in the
years 1899 to 1903 inclusive. The price to
be paid for the wine of each vintage
snail be the average price per gallon re-
ceived for standard wines of the same
vintage by the corporation upon the sale
thereof, less pro rata proportion of the
expense of conducting the business of
said corporation. One-twentieth of the
selling price of the wine is to be paid in
fully paid up shares of the corporation.
1t is the business of the board of directors
TO determine the average price of stand
ard wine of each vintage, according to the
average price received for said wines.
For line wines an extra price is provided.
An important feature of the contract ar
ranges for the advance Of money on mer-
charitable wines in the makers cellar
prior 10 their going into consumption.
On Saturday next the delegates will
present these contracts to the wine-mak-
ers of the various districts for their sig
natures, and ii is provided that If the
names of 90 per cent of the producers is
not secured it will be the duty of the di-
rectors Of the corporation to return the
contracts to the SignerS. In this event
the compact would be broken. and the
makers of wines would have to go into
the open market individually to find
buyers for their goods.
While the labors of the convention ap-
pear to have been satisfactory, there does
not seem to be any feeling of confidence
that the necessary number of growers can
be secured to the corporation. The diff
Guilty is that wines are bringing better
prices than have been realized for many
years, and there are certain growers who
have an idea that they could do better
If they were free to go into the market
competitors. Whether or not there are
enough of this class to prevent the reor-
ganization of the corporation remains to
be seen. However, 1t is an anxious
period, not only for the producers but for
merchants, as it is pretty generally be-
leved that the abandonment of the com
bine would result in the fall of prices to
the old ruinouS figures.