77 



prohibits the fortifying of wines with any other spirit than wine spirit, rigid 

 enforcement of the law against adulteration, the opening up of new markets 

 (particularly in Spanish America and Cuba), and, finally, approaching Great 

 Britain with a view to persuading us to forbid the sale of wine made in England 

 from raisins as Spanish wines. The latter proposal emanates from the 

 Reus syndicate of wine exporters, who aver in all seriousness that artificial 

 wines are " manufactured on a gigantic scale in the Argentine Republic, 

 in the north of Germany, but above all in England / " Great Britain is at 

 the present time Spain's best customer ; Spain, on the other hand, does 

 not import from Great Britain more than 18 per cent, of her total imports. 

 If we are to offer a refuge to Spanish wines, it would seem reasonable to ask 

 her to lower her somewhat prohibitive tariff in other directions. 



According to the President of the British Chamber of Commerce of Bar- 

 celona, Great Britain imported in 1909 3,248,000galls. of Spanish wines as 

 against 2,970,000galls. of French wines. 



If the falling off of exports alone give any clue to the magnitude of the crisis, 

 there appears to be good reason for the outcry of Spanish vinegrowers. Thus 

 in a short period of 10 years 1897 to 1907 the total exports of wine fell 

 from 117,816,206galls. to 34,947,830galls. This represents a fall in exports 

 of over 70 per cent., quite sufficient in itself to jeopardise the position of 

 the most firmly-seated of industries. The vinegrowing industry continues, 

 nevertheless, to constitute an important source of national wealth, as the 

 following figures clearly prove : 



Value of Spanish Exports connected with Vinegrowing Industry. 



1908. 1909. 







Common red wines 748,300 888,448 



Sweet Malaga wines 812,334 600,892 



Sherry and other dessert wines . 257,512 452,778 



Common white wines 251,926 235,593 



Raisins 844,704 764,260 



Fresh grapes 493,000 414,040 



Crude tartar 208,926 195,408 



Total vine exports 3,616,702 3,551,419 



There is little doubt but that we are likely to be affected indirectly by this 

 Spanish crisis, for in general character their wines more closely approach. 

 South Australian wines than those of any other country that I know of 

 The competition of Spanish wines on the London market are therefore more 

 to be feared by us than that of the lighter French wines ; and although the 

 British Government is not likely to grant to Spain special concessions in this 

 direction, it behoves us, nevertheless, to watch whatever action in this direc- 

 tion the Spanish Government mav be driven to by the importunity of the 

 vinegrowers. 



