The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-06-01
sweet WINESMUST
join THE HAS-BEENS
New Internal Revenue Tax A.
fects Local Situation-Sake
As a Probable Substitute

a Kanpakalalup and Kaumana wineries
on Hawaii win be compelled to go out
Of business.
n Japanese sake will take the place Of
American sweet wines on the tables
and sideboards of the poorer classes Of
Hawaiian residents.
Perfprce, sake "stilIs' will arise Ia
corners of the Islands and cause inter.
nal revenue officers no end of trouble
and expense.
California will lose an industry in
which $3.50, 1000, 900 is invested. Small
grape growers everywhere win have to
ind new market
The business of Hawaii in sweet
wines will be cut down more than one.
half 1t was 1893, 1870 in 1919 and
&36S,494 in 1914.
The larger concerns, which also man
ufacture dry wines, will not be 80 great.
" affected, as they will turn their en-.
deayorsi toward that industry.
These were some of the prediction
made yesterday by Joel c. Cohen that
will result from the governmental rul.
ing that after January !, 1916, reve
nue. tax OF 10 shall be placed on
every gallon Of brandy.
A. Coed Authority
i Cohen Is the Hawaiian agent for the
Italian-Swiss Coloney, located at Asti,
California, one OF tae largest wine man
ufaeturing concerns in the world, and
should be in position to know what
the effects of the new law will be. He
says eandidiy that 1.-The new regula-
ti0n viii nick his sales in half" 49,.
In the making of sweet wines, such
as tokRy, madeira, angelica, port or
sherry, 1t is necessary to reinforce with
brandy at the ratio of about one to
four gallons. Heretofore the tax on
such brandy was nominal, but now, with
Q tax of $1.l0 a gallon, there will be
an increase in the cost of producing
wine of abOut,25 cents a gallon. Natu.
rally, this cost must be borne by the
conspnief. Sweet wines being the bev-
erages OF the poorer classes, the addi.
tional cost Tackled on the present price
will make the selling price prohibitive.
Dry wines do not need fertilization to
keep from soarlng.. Accordingly, such
wines as reach the more wealthy man =
table--elaret, zinfandel, chianti, sau
terne, chablis, burgundS-will not in
Sake a Substitute
Discussing the situation further,
Cohen continued: ,..
1.-THE greatest consumers of sweet
wines In Hawaii are the Portuguese and
Japanese. All things being equal, the
Japanese prefers wine, TO sake. If he
can procure sake cheaper than he can
vine, naturally he will buy sake. Un.
der the recent revenue law sake Is
rated as brew and placed on a par
with beer ;, The average beer contains
about four. per rent alcohol, while sake
contains from fourteen to sixteen per
cont. Sweet wines contain from eight
cen to twenty per cent. "."
THE Portuguese win probably con
tinue) to drink wine If they can con.
tiHue TO do 50, but IL is certain that
the Japanese will turn to sake made
nv Japanese Large firms, like the Asti
Company and the California Wine As
ISOLATION, will turn their energies to-
ward the making of dry wines, which
are not affected by the new ruling, but
the small grape grower must 20 out of
business and face ruin. There is no
way out for him. Hawaiian wineries
cannot face the issue and must close
down. The internal revenue people will
find themselves very much perturbed
by food Of 'substitutes,' unless /
miss my, guess, which will cost the gov.
eminent mote to control than they de
rive from the tar on brandy used for
fOrtifying sweet Wines