Evening star., 1902-03-11
NARROW MARGIN LEFT
WESTERN WINE GROWERS ANX-
IoUs OVER RECIPROCITY.
Proposed Importation Of Foreign Pro-
duct-Prices Near the Danger Line
Cost Of Raising Vineyards.

The wine growers OF California are
closely watching the tariff agitat ation In Con-
gress. for they fear some attack upon their
industry through reciprocity or reduction
OF the import duties. The business of wine
growing on the Pacific coast Is conducted
upon a very narrow margin, and tarin
changes. however slight. produce marked
effect, one way or the other. Reports have
reached this country that owing to plenti-
full crop Of wine in Europe determined ef-
fort Is to be made by the French wine
growers to capture more Of the American
trade. A leading member Of the Wine
Growers Association OF California, who is
now in Washington, said today:
IF the reciprocity treaty with France or
any other wine producing country should
be ratified at the present time 1t will be a
very serious blow, and act great deter
rent to the development Of the wine indus
try OF California. This industry has lam
guished for several years. Competition and
its concomitant of ruinously low prices. to-
gether with the ravages Of phylloxera have
almost ruined the vineyardists.
Through concerted efforts in the last
two years such prices have been MAIN
tained as. while extremely reasonable to
the consumer. have still left margin Of
profit to the growers, which has encour-
aged them to commence the rehabliment
Of their vineyards. which are being planted
to roots resistent to phylloxers and other
vine diseases. and they can now look for
ward to a little Of the prosperity which
they have so sadly lacked for the last dec
ade.
Proposed Importations.
I'VE have just been informed that ar
rangements are being made, and empty
cooperage is being exported for the impor-
tation Of wine from France into New York
at a price which is perilously near the
danger line for our California industry.
vineyardist cannot hope to plant a resist
ent vineyard and make a fair return for
his labor and investment on less than 20
cents gallon for new wines. This wine
must be aged for two years to put In suit
able condition for the market and when 1t
Is ready to turn out it is at first cost Of
not less than 25 cents per gallon, and add
ing the cost Of cooperage-5 cents per gal
lon-3O cents per gallon cOoperage, t. o. b.
California. is the lowest price at which
wines can be turned from first hands. and
this without any profit whatever to the
merchant who puts in his capital to mature
prepare and market the wines.
1.-The cost of freight to New York is ~
cents per gallon, and with 2h cents for
handling charges this brings the actual
cost, without any profit, landed in New
York to 40 cents per gallon. So you will
see that any reduction whatever In the
present duties will food the New York
market with French wines to the absolute
exclusion Of the California product
Just now wines are being sold slightly
lower than the above figures for the rea-
son that we are only just emerging from a
period of extremely low prices. and 1t has
not been considered safe or expedient to
advance prices too rapidly, but II the vine
yard industry Of California is to be rehabili-
tated. and Is to continue one Of its chief
industries. then prices must be maintained
to at least a figure which will encourage
the grower in the hope that his investment
will be reasonably safe and permanent.
,x1 rroY,
''The wine crop Of France and Italy for
the past two years has been phenomenal.
Their only hope to get rid of any part Of
the surplus is to dump it into the United
States. These wines, which are good for
ordinary table use, can be delivered on
board ship here from Is francs (s29O to 20
francs $3.50 per hectoliter (26.417 gallons).
From 10 to 10 cents per gallon, includ-
ing cooperage, delivered on board vessel
is the highest price at which the French
man Is expecting to dump his product into
our markets This, deducing the cost of
cooperage. is only from to 10 cents per
gallon t. o. b. vessel, and the freight from
France to New York does not exceed one
fourth to one-third the cost Of freight from
California to New York.
Wine at Cent Gallon.
Regarding Italy. another large wine pro-
ducing country, the item has been going
around the press that wine there was so
plentiful that it was selling at the rate Of
one cent per gallon, and that the govern
ment was seriously considering the substi-
tuting Of wine for coffee and tea for its
soldiers as an economical proposition of
furnishing them with liquid.
"All this shows how very serious the sit
uation is for California. and it looks to our
representatives in Congress to make a des-
perate fight against any reciprocity propo-
sition which will tend to lower the present
duty on wines. Otherwise California might
just as we'll now, as at any other time, re-
linquish all hope Of continuing as a great
wine producing state and instead Of reha-
bilitating it's vineyards on resistent stock
it had better pull up those that now exist
| These are strong words, but they are
facts