The San Francisco call., 1908-10-04
ITALY MFNACFD BY
GREAT WINE CRISIS
OverproductiOn for Three Con-
secutive Years Causes Dis
tress to Industrious People
Price in Asti Is Only Eight Cents
a Gallon, but Drunkard Is
Not Seen in Streets

ASTI. Italy, Aug 2s-There is at
present In Italy wine crisis so serious
that it might almost be called a ma
tional calamity. one of those calamt-
ties for which nature only is response
BILE, being the consequence OF an over
production during three consecutive
years such as has never before been
recorded, and such as no commercial
or industrial organization could rea-
sonably prevent or relieve.
From 25,000.00O hectoliters (625,0O0.-
900 gallons), which has been the aver
age output of wine for many years past,
the amount went up last year to nearly
100000 hectoliters 0,250.00O.000 gal
lons). and II threatens to be still more
this year.
The enormous production, taken with
the moderate increase of population and
the consequent deficient demand. and
the fact, as well, that overproductton
has been general throughout the world.
has made the wine market financial
failure. and affected very much the
prosperity of the whole country.
When one considers that the best
part of the land in Italy. as we'll as in
France and Spain. and in that most
beautiful region which lies on both
sides of the Rhine, is cultivated very
carefully for the production of grapes
and wine, one can easily understand
the distress of our people and the great
interest taken in this question by the
government by private institutions. by
the scientist, economist and capitalist.
and their efforts to relieve a situation
which threatens the future of one of
the most important branches OF agri-
culture and one of the most important
industries of the world.
NO DRUNKARDs IN STREETS
Every American who has travelled
extensively in these countries will
easily realize the seriousness of this
question. He knows that the wealth
and prosperity of the people depend
entirely upon this precious product of
the soil. which for centuries has made
this country famous for its beauty. and
for the remarkable prosperity of its
inhabitants, who are among the best
specimens of human beings. Who will
ever forget a Rhineland vineyard land
scape, Medoc castle surrounded by
vines. or the Tuscan hills around Ffe-
sole covered with vineyards. worked by
the handsome peasants who have been
the admired models for so many beau
tiful paintings?
There is not a tourist who has not
noticed with surprise the gentle and
kind manners of these simple and ig
norant farmers. the descendants for
generations of wine drinking people.
And yet these simple farmers. these
wine drinkers. are model citizens: they
have won the name of gentle Tuscany"
for their country, and never can they
be found drunk in the streets of their
picturesque towns and cities.
Asti from which Iiwrite these notes.
lies in the center of the wine trade
in the north of Italy and is a pros
porous city of nearly 10000 inhabitants.
Although the wine this year is only
worth cents a gallon. yet have
never seen drunkard in the street;
and the peace of the city is protected
by the limited number of six city
guards. who are amply sufficient for
the 10000 inhabitants. Crimes and
quarrels are seldom heard of. and the
people look strong and healthy. and
are all hard working.
These reflections come to my mind
reading the newspapers of San Fran
cisco. full of the noble and energetic
struggle of some of the prominent citi-
zens of California to save one of Its
most prosperous industries. which since
half century has helped to make the
state attractive. through the beautiful
cultivation of great part or it's land,
and through the employment of thou
sands of people in ing the soil and
raising a beautiful and healthful fruit.
1t has won California a name. by its
successful production of excellent wines.
which actually compete with the
best brands of the old country.
And so while here everybody is strug-
Cling to protect this wealth OF the land,
and TO favor as much as possible the
large industries which come directly
from this product OF the soil. in Cali
fornia a class of people who ought to
have at heart the prosperity of the
state, is trying to destroy it. with the
senseless pretext that wine is an intOXi-
eating beverage, tending to degenerate
the present and the future race.
The Rhine, the Medoe the Tuscan.
the Asti vineyards have existed nine
centuries, and the population of these
countries has been for centuries pros
porous. healthy and strong. improving
in civilization and morals: and it never
entered the mind of it's governing mas
ters that wine could be a danger to the
proper growth. education and improve
ment of their subjects.
Scientific study and experiment have
proved many time the beneficial effect
on the human constitution of a moder-
ate use of wine; and only lately in
America Gizzelt found that the pan
create secretion was benefited by the
use of alcohol. Melzer has proved that
muscular resistance is greatly increased
by the use of alcoholic drink in modera-
ton; and lately Giovanni Pietrotti. of
the Institute of Hygiene at the Uni
versity of Pisa, made some experiments
on family of dogs. administering
alcohol in different doses. with the pur-
pose of comparing the growth of the
little animals fed with or without an
addition of alcohol. He found that the
little dogs fed with a moderate addi-
ton of alcohol grew better and
stronger than their brothers who had
none.
ITALIAN BABIES HEALTHY
From Chicago, July 23. came a re-
port that 10 out of every loo Chicago
babies had died during the % days
of July. ending Wednesday. This is
about one-fourth of the quoted death
rate of the city. One of the note
worthy points of the physicians re-
port is shown in an Italian section of
bo .ff