1911 Beverages de luxe

county, California, where they hâve been found to grow to the same perfection as they did in the niother country, and produce the identical Chianti wine, which, being properly aged and care- fully cared for, is admitted to be superior to the imported wine frorri Italy, and sells readily in the market of New York, in cases of one dozen flasks, for $2.00 per case higher than the im- ported article. This, therefore, shows that wine can now be prodnced in the United States of as fine a quality as that produced in any part of the world. It can also be snpplied to the consumer, when not hampered by obnoxious license and prohibition régu- lations, to the mass of the people as cheaply as the wine is sold in Europe; because, whilst in the old country they have the advantage of cheaper labor, here, especially in California, wine is produced in such large quantifies, and by means of the most perfect of modem machinery, the land being plowed by horses and steam plows, instead of being worked by hand labor, as in Europe, that it actually costs no more for the production here than it costs in Europe. There is no reason why the American people should not become accustomed to the lise of wine at their meals, just the same as the people in the wine-drinking countries of Europe, and, by so doing, introduce a new industry which would give remunerative employment to thousands of happy families in vineyards throughout the country, thereby creating new towns and cities, and adding to the progress and prosperity of the United States. Italy produces, in abnormal years, 1,000,000,000 gallons of wine per annum, worth §200,000,000. France produces 1,500,- 000,000 gallons, having a ^alue of -$300,000,000. Now, with proper inducements, the United States can, and there is no question but that in tirne it will, produce in its vast territory just as much wine, and of just as good a. quality, as that which is now produced by the two principal wine countries of Europe. In order to develop the wine industry to its full extent, it is necessary : First — To induce the Prohibition people, whose aim is the removal of drunkenness from our country, to encourage the use of wine at meals, instead of prohibiting it. Second — It is necessary that grocers and dealers be per- mitted to serve their patrons with wine in original packages, without the payment of a license, just the same as they are per- mitted to sell tea, collée and chocolaté. They should not charge exorbitant priées to their patrons, but should sell at a reason- able advance over the cost. This will materially increase their sales, and eventually their profits. Third — The restaurant and hôtel keepers should place a