Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-03

$ confined to narrow limits or il it were raised q
extensively that the Government, could afford L
t establish q warehouse in every district, county,
o lowr, then undoubtedly the duty could DO NOR
e'iecluaIly collected on tobacco in The LeaC r
G % so BOW might cost The Government either nor
p than the tax, Of subject those who cultivate /, t
J ~ much Inconvenience in carrying their tobucc
TO distant warehouses TO be Inspected and assessed
7 that they would abandon its culture.
Petroleum and coal oal have had long aDC
patient examination. 1t is deemed certain Ih
world affords nothing cheaper for Illuminating
purposes Whether il is inexhaustible or no
3 time alone will reveal. In the oil region tn,
. prospectors do not always succeed, and wher
they do after boring several hundred teet into
the earth the petroleum bursts forth like The
geysers ia Iceland, and then often soon tires Of il,
subteranean labors, when pump 10 applied tr
the well, and, though it sill yields something
the magic and profit diminish and sometimes sub.
sde altogether. When brought into use in 1853
The product was about one million gallons, one
half Of which was consumed in this country and
the remainder exported. There i, some diyersi
" Of opinion whether the duty should be levied
on the crude and no drawb,ck allowed, or on the
refined, or on both with drawback. A. there
md Means have determined to propose tax
o0ly upon the refined as heretofore. This will
be most acceptable to a majority Of all parte.
will be most easily collected Of the refners, and
will not disturb our export trade, matter Of
SINE importance while 40 large imporlaons Of
toreiRn goods are so eagerly received, and for
which payment must be made.
! Having doubled the duty on refined coal oil
an ncrease upon gas companies ard upon lard
OIL has been made nearly in the ssms ratio.
1 Upon telegraphjc dispatches it is proposed to
abolish stamps snd TO tax the gross receipts Of
the business, for the reason that stamp duties up.
on dispatches cannot well be equitabIy rated, nor
is there any simple mcds Of detection whether
used or not. The war add, very greatly to the
prof OF telegraph companies, and there is no
business which wopld sppear better able to con
tribute proper share Of revenue
While licenses hAvs been further extended, it
has moi been so much for revenue as to tx and
locate the trade, business, or profession Of al
parlies an ! TO protect them respectively therein
but the present bill Is 30 general-embracing 90
nearly everybody and evetybodys wiie--that il
will yield large revenue even from lieense,
There has seemed y be some injustice in requir
llg ths same amount fo- the license Of a banker
Who employs capital f only S29 600 as one
who employs 5 $l000,00O and we have, therefore
proposed that they sha pay progressively in pro
portion to the capita used or employed includioQ
banks Of all descriptions as well as bankers. A
similar principle has been applied to wholesale
merchants. Those who'e sales are large will bo
required to pay more than those whose sales are
limited. II is true that the income tax at last
reaches the merchant as does all other classes
and i bis sales and profits have been large. BIZ,
tax is in proportion but a less fortunate neigh
Dor is hardly content to pay the same for license
which covers trade Of only ole tenth, or twenti.
eth plrt in comparison. The man who occupies
whole block-dcing business in proporton-is
therefore, dignifed by higher license than one
who occupies stall.
The principle, however, ha, not been carried
far enough to amount TO a tax on sae., which i.
easily and often suggested, but possibly without
considering that il would obsttuct that commerce
which now passe. through so many hands in
reaching market from distant part of
country thot Il would concentrate al business
into the hands OF large capitalists, who would be-
come importers or manufacturers, wholesale deal.
ers, obbers, and retail dealers, all 10 one. while
the middlemen, unable to compete, would be
crushed out Of existence that the consumer
would find the cost Of his good, increased that
the manufacturer in the end would be compelled
10 diminish bis prices or diminish his sales and
that the government would be unable to collec,
the duties except from those who might choose
10 pay. The evils which would result from tax
on sales II the plan were TO be adopted, taxing
goods in cat pieces instead Of by the bale or case,
are serious, and the advantages will not stand the
test OF a critical examination.
1t is proposed to tax the gro. receipts Of the
atres operas, circuses, aud museums, but at the
moderate rate OF one per cent, as in most cases
they are ventures, sometimes yielding no more
than expenses, and rarely mere than Eve to ten
percent. after bills are all paid. They are source,
OF amusement which, in times like these are sure
to be more literally patroni,ed by men of all u,.
tons th'n IN the piping times Of peace" and
those who manage the u can well afford to =" act
we'll their part" by playing into the hand, of tie
Government under which they live, prosper, and
win their lame
The tax on railroads has been changed, redu.
clng that on passengers from three 10 two per
cent, and placing that amount on the gross re.
eript', including freight, but cot wiihou, some
reluctance, as its tendency may, to some small
extent, il any advance should be INDUCED in the
rates, diminish the transportation OF certain other
kinds Of freight which il is desirable to increase.
There are also canals competing with railroads in
several oflhe States, but being owned by States
1t would neither be polite or constitutional to at
tempt to hold any part ef their revenues. The
Governmeat is for ed TO be sreat patron of
railroads, and their business is large and profit
able Certainly this immense business should
yield up something TO the support OF the Union,
and, Il anything, not le,s than the amount pro-
posed,
Among oil the most wonderful VI oil our re.
sources, considering thA extent ard rspidity Of
development, are our minerals. The production
OF copper, ron gold, aud silver is increasing daily
In amount As new mines are discovered among
our mountains, armie, Of laborers 70 forth from
peak 10 peak, and after few summer moon, he.
hold Territories glittering with the high ambition
of becoming States Of the Union, or States in
their teens, eolipsng the accumulated culture
and wealth Of ancient Commonwealth already
crowded with the spoils Of three-soore years and
ten. But rich asls Michigan in copper, Pennsyl
yania in iron, or California IN gold, they are all
richer 10 their untold products OF the
isli. Any tax on metals in their crude state, A.
pgs or ingots, or until they reach a more ad.
Vadied stage Of manufacture, would ordinarily be
objectionable, az they are in some sorl the raw
material from which manufactures are to be made ,
Dut nov, while all those connected with such on
,rations are undtniably prosperous, and would
eel ii reprcach upon their manhood to be sx. {
used from the draft, our country dem,nds entire
equality, and the pick that is carried by every ,
'odier must be Lorne by all as tax payers. Du. i
ing the present war there must be no drone, 4
md no exemps I
1t is therefore proposed to largely increase tho
t,ttas unon t,nn and IN bt.,.tknt. Z, =