The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-28
he Disputed Impost
Will Be Tested.
CLAIM THAT 1T IS UNJUST
ASSERT THAT THEY ARE NOT
UNPATRIoTIC.
Some Very Plain Statements Calcu-
e. lated to Show That the Tax
on Wines Is Decidedly
:: One-Sided.

The Internal Revenue Department has
been given hard nut to crack in con-
nection with the tax on California wines
in bottles There has been wide COM
plant from wholesale and retail wine
merchants, bottlemen and proprietors or
restaurants that the tax imposed is dis
eliminating and not constitutional. Ihese
allegations are made on the fact that the
man who produces the wine and the
dealer who sells bulk wines escape the
impost, while the bother, the merchant
and caterer who sells wines in glass are
required to bear the whole burden. In
order to test the legality Of this section
of the war revenue law the Wetmore-
Bowen Company, which is more largely
affected than any other bottling house in
the city, have refused TO place stamps on
their goods as required by the statute and
are awaiting further action of the Gov
eminent calculated TO bring the dispute
10 q final settlement.
In. a letter to Collector of Internal Rev
enue Lynch, dated yesterday, the vine
men set forth the reasons for their action
as follows:
Dear Sir; Be pleased 10 be advised that we
formally protest the payments by us OF war
revenue tax on all wines that We have bottled
since the passage OF the recent war . reseiIre
tax measure, as well as on all wines lhal we
may hereafter bottle and offer for sale,
1t is our belief that this tax on pottieo VINES
Is discriminative, unjust and unconstilutIon5sI.
We can see no good reason why wine IN bottles
should be subject TO tax while wine IN Wood
remains untaxed.
.iutust to levy tax tea in paper packages
and not in wooden chests. or to tax potatoes
in sacks and not in the bin as II is TO tax
wine in glass and not in wood.
You are aware that uniform tax is put
upon all beer in wood and that 1t is taxed at
the brewery where II is made and that no
tax is required when this same beer Is put
into a bottle. You further aware that
whisky is taxed in wood at the distillery
where ii is made and not when 1t is put into
=. bottles.
We respectfully suggest therefore that wine
should be taxed at the winery While IL Is In
wood and where II is made. 1t seems TO US
that this would be a more tangible way Tor
il would place equitable tax upon every
producer -
We are in favor OF this and are willing and
DESTROYS of paying proportion of the Gov
eminent requirement In response TO taxatlon
on wine We beg to call your attention TO
the fact that a demijohn containing hve gal
Ions of wine is taxed, while a keg containing
five gallons of wine goes without taxation
likewise in some restaurants of this city wine
is served In glass pitchers and is therefore
uutaxed while other restaurants serve 1t in
bottles and place the stamp required by enact
'ment upon each bottle.
The taxing OF all wine produced at the
winery would avoid evasfons that apparent
at the present time As all the Cresta Blanca
wine we produce IS sold exclusively in glass
We are taxed for every pint we sell, while
many larger growers and merchants VINO sell
millions of gallons In wood annually excape
without paying one cent of taxation.
You can see, therefore, that this protest Is
not made from unpatriotic standpoint, but
one based upon equity and upon our interpre-
tation OF the constitution of the United States.
rnant by US OF any further tax on our bottled
wines