The San Francisco call., 1904-03-15
HEPBURN -D0LLIVER BILL INIMICAL
TO CALIFORNIA WINE INTERESTS
Proposed Act Goes Beyond the Excellent Provisions of the Pure Food
Restrictions and Empowers any State to Prohibit Importation of
Wines Across Its Bodessue of Senatorial Patronage Unsettled
BY S. w. WALL.

CALL BUREAU, HOTEL BARTON,
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE fact
that Representative Hepburn is the au-
thor of a pure food bill is doubtless re-
spOnsible for a number Of rush tele-
grams from California to members of
the delegation urging them to line up
for the passage of the so-called Hep
burn -Dolliver bill, which has been re-
Gently before the House judiciary Com
mittee for several very interesting and
widely advertised sessions. The pure
food bin is a highly exemplary measure
California. in common with other we'll
behaved States, has registered an in
terest in it's passage. The wine industry
has been especially active in this way
WARNING TO CALIFORNIANS.
But the Hepburn-Dolliver bill is en-
tirely different. and it is just as we'll to
clear any confusion resulting from the
Hepburn name. The measure is
fathered In the House by Mr.. Hepburn
and in the Senate by Dolliver of Iowa.
Should it become a law it would en-
RN"CA aAAS oldNC ~ Sup lnC
tion Of California wines, as we'll as all
other liquors, across its borders. II is
an Iowa measure-an attempt on the
part of that State TO do away with the
liquor traffic as it is carried on "in the
original package" Iowa has a prohibi-
tion law. Liquor being sent to pur-
chasers living within that State from
dealers in other States, action was
brought and the State Supreme Court
said it was unlawful. The United
States Supreme Court reversed this
ruling, holding that, except as checked
by act of Congress, Interstate COM
merce was free. In 1890 the Wilson bill
was passed to give the State the right
to prevent the sale Of liquor in the orig
inal package The bill failed of the de-
sired effect-that is, to keep liquor out
of the State-for while it became un-
lawful to transfer title to the original
package" by sale, it was still lawful to
deliver to the consignee, and the num-
Der Of consignees simply multiplied
The intent of the Hepburn -Dolliver
bin is to enable the Legislature of any
State to forbid by law the importation
Of liquor. Under its provisions a State
may stop at the line and confiscate any
wines or.other liquors consigned to an
individual within its borders. and may
regulate the importation otherwise by
levy of taxes.
The House judiciary Committee, TO
which the bill was referred, has listened
with patience for many days to argu-
ments on both sides. Temperance or
ganizations have called orators for the
purpose from long distances and many
directions throughout the United
States. Brewers organizations and
others have spoken against the bill. A
number of women have spoken on both
sides. DR.. Mary Walker and Phoebe
Cousins among those opposed to it. The
hearings have been enlivened by
charges made by opponents of the bill
that its champions had without war
rant used the frank of members of the
committee to circulate literature calcu-
lated TO create public feeling in its
favor. Some surprise is expressed that
no representative of California's wine
interests has spoken word in the con-
troversy. Representative Gillette, who