HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 247 
see almost exclusively, and only a few go out generally into the 
trade. 
Mr. Soorr. Is it necessary to spend $10,000 to find out who is 
handling these high-grade wines? 
Mr. Wixey. If we want to exclude those that are misbranded we 
have to have evidence on which to base our exclusion. Suppose I 
take a wine that I am absolutely certain is falsely branded and endeavor 
to have it excluded. They may have a mandamus issued compelling 
us to show proof, and we have to have the evidence to exclude it. 
The Cuatrman. Is not wine largely a matter of taste? As long as 
there is no substance in it injurious to health do you not think that 
we have gone far enough in simply seeing that it is free from sub- 
stances deleterious to health? 
Mr. Wixey. Certainly; but the object of all these food acts is much 
more than simply to guarantee wholesome products. 
The Cuarrman. A man who likes a certain kind of wine may be 
willing to give a good price for that wine, and yet it may be really a 
cheap wine, and to a connoisseur it may not be worth the money this 
man pays for it; but still the man may be glad to buy it at that price. 
Mr. Winey. And the same way with the man who likes oleomar- 
garine. It isa good wholesome food, and why should you prevent a 
man selling it for butter? 
The Cuarrman. That is a forbidden subject. 
Mr. Witey. Excuse me, I withdraw my offensive remark; but it is 
a good illustration. 
Mr. Wricut. If you had your agent there and he stamped the 
packages of those wines that were what they purported to be would 
not the merchants in this country insist upon having wine with this 
agent’s stamp upon it? 
Mr. Wixy. I think they would, in order to protect themselves. 
Mr. Apams. And would not the producers of the genuine wines 
entitled to these names be glad to have the stamp on it? 
Mr. Witey. I think they would. 
Mr. Apams. I would like to ask one other question. Do you recall 
the value of the importations of the classed wines of which you have 
been speaking ? 
Mr. Wier. Several million dollars in this country every year; but 
I do not recall the exact amount. 
Mr. Burieson. As a matter of fact, if these wines are not injurious 
to health what is the purpose of excluding them? 
Mr. Wier. Because it is a fraud to bring them in, as is done, under 
names they are not entitled to bear. 
Mr. Burteson. But they are not injurious to health. 
Mr. Witzy. Perhaps not—— 
Mr. Lever. Your proposition is not to exclude these inferior wines, 
but simply to relieve the people from paying these high prices for 
them? 
Mr. Wiizy. Yes. 
The Cuarrman. What might be considered an inferior wine by you 
would be a wine that would be considered superior by another gen- 
tleman. Is it not largely a matter of taste? 
Mr. Scorr. But what the doctor is getting at now is that part of the 
law that requires all products to be correctly labeled. 
