Show WINE GROWERS ALARMED big interest will suffer by bill alio wine producers of the state hava discovered fresh cause for alarm in ali e proposed tariff legislation some of the features which it is thought will prove incalculably detrimental to alie wine interests of california were recen reviewed in a report to the commission submitted by 0 J wetmore since that report was filed it has been learned eliat interested parties have caused to inserted in alo wil eon tariff law a clause which if made operative would practically destroy alie wine industry of the state the duty on still wines is fixed at 50 cents a gallon in by alio wilson law as reported fb the house by the ways and means committee this left alie tariff at the samo figure as designated by the much mckinley law since alio wilson bill was reported to alio house a lattio joker lias inserted providing that alie duty on still wines shall in no case exceed per cent of the invoice value of alie goods this clause practically kills the tariff so far as it might bo beneficial to california wine producer agat the present time the cheaper grades of french wines which would come into competition with the california vin ordin aire anro being offered at 8 cents a gallon in franco with few buyers tho french production of wine this season waa gallons an enormous output this wine which is of a quality far inferior to the california product could jae laid down in new york for 18 cents a gallon under alie provision in the wilson law to which reference is made the least that the california product can be sold for in new york and new orleans mar bets is 22 cents at his margin there is only a very scant margin to the producer wine men say that alio placing of an ad valoree valorem duty on wines as is hero proposed opens the way to fraud while alie country would bo flooded by the cheap stuff of italy france spain and algiers which now goes begging at 10 cents a gallon wines of better quality could be invoiced at a figure would make their importation a most profitable transaction wines which are worth more than 50 cents per gallon would not be effected thermuty Ther duty would of course be less than per cent of heir value but the opportunities for fraudulent entering of invoice prices would bo excellent idwal dealers and producers believe that the manufacture of trashy spurious mixtures called wine would be greatly facilitated and aliese liquors would be sent hero to compete at very low figures california wines which have an established reputation for purity the new york dealers who handle california and frenchi wines are not at all particular which they sell this applies to alio ordinary varieties should alio duty be fixed ns contemplated in alie clause mentioned the trade of new york and now orleans be lost to california producer thia is what wine men say would result from tho operation 0 alie law the attention of tho state board of viticulture hag been drawn to the claudo objectionable tho matter lias been discussed by hie executive commit tco and it lia s been decided to take steps immediately to fight tho adoption of the clause it is claimed that it was inserted through the effort of kew york importers who aro directly the board will contrive every possible method to defeat alie clause and to this end will soon tako definite action tills clause would open alio door to tho importation of millions of gallons of tho breach product said an interested dealer yesterday that would directly compete with our wines should it pass it would ruin and swamp our wine interests you ran see bow much benefit franco would derive from a cliance to get a market for an of stock which alt present is not salable at any figure anio worth 8 cents a gallon would pay only 8 cents duty instead of 50 cents as under alie law without the proviso A drone be mado against the pee bego of the clalee as aa |