44 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF VITICULTURE 



President Alwood announced that thirty minutes would be given for a 

 discussion on the question of the Federal Tax on brandy used in the fortifica- 

 tion of sweet wines. 



Mr. C. E. Bundschu, of San Francisco, spoke of the work the California 

 Viticultural Commission has inaugurated in the hope of getting relief from 

 Congress, and invited the Eastern delegates to give their views on the 

 subject. 



Mr. E. M. Sheehan, Secretary of the Board of Viticultural Commissioners, 

 told of the circulating of a petition throughout the State by the Commission, 

 the petition to be presented to Congress at the first opportunity. Told of the 

 opportunity given to Californians to reach the ears of the Congressional party 

 that had been in the State recently on its return from Honolulu. Spoke 

 of the possibility of there being an extra session of Congress in September, 

 and the hope that in any call made for a special session the matter of this 

 tax might be included so that the ears of the National Government might be 

 reached at that time. The Commission expects to have 6,000 or 7,000 names 

 signed to the petition by that time, and said that all of the California delega- 

 tion in Congress is alive to the situation and most of them have promised 

 to do all in their power to get relief from the present conditions. 



"We have the hearty support of Senator Phelan and Senator Works," 

 said Mr. Sheehan, "and of Congressmen Kahn, Curry, Nolan, Church, Raker, 

 and, in fact, all of our Representatives in Congress with the possible excep- 

 tion of one from Southern California. This State is very weak so far as 

 representation goes in Congress, and we do not seem able to get anywhere in 

 matters of legislation in Washington, and I think it is timely for me to say 

 to the Eastern delegates present that we would like to have the support of 

 their Representatives. We are not asking anything unreasonable, but want 

 to protect this enormous Viticultural industry of our State." 



Mr. Lee J. Vance, of New York: "On behalf of the American Wine 

 Growers Association, I believe that this Association is composed about 

 equally of California and Eastern wine grape growers, and you will have no 

 trouble in the matter. Our legislative committee will be only too glad to co- 

 operate. We have members in New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan and 

 other States, and they can bring pressure to bear greater than any other part 

 of the United States." 



Mr. Hiram Dewey, of New York: "In speaking for the East, I will say 

 that we were very much hampered by this law going into effect so suddenly 

 last year. We make our wine in September and October, and we do not 

 fortify it until April. When this bill was being drafted, the Eastern and 

 Western wine makers had representatives in Washington. We endeavored 

 to have the passage of this bill deferred until after the fortifying was done. 

 When we went to the office of Senator Johnson, of Maine, chairman of the 

 committee on framing this bill, he showed us the bill they had been working 

 on and to our utter surprise we found a clause in which there was a tax of 

 $6.00 per case on champagne. Most of the champagne made in the United 

 States, as you know, is made in New York. 



"With reference to the brandy tax, we are suffering in connection with 

 you people in California as most of our brandy comes from your State. We 

 have to pay the transportation and then the tax besides. We should use our 



