Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-02-23
The Proposed Tax on Sales.


Of Vermont on the Tax BILL made in
the House Of Representatives on the 9th
inst, we extract the following in rela-
tlOn 10 the proposed tax on sales. The
proposition is to impose upon all sales
of merchandise aud other personal prop.
erty tax of One-half Of one per cent.
um. 1t seems TO meet with very gen
eral favor, but Mr.. Morrill, suggests
some very strong reasons against ii. He
says -
"TheIe are two printed amendments
for which neither the COmmittee OF ways
and means nor myself are responsible.
mean that relating to banks, and that
placing tax on sales Other gentle
men will offer them az the proper time,
and it Is enough for me to say that II
appears that some further legislation as
TO the tax on banks is desirable. What
that shall be will Of course be for the
House TO determine,
Upon the other question, however, ]
feel compelled TO say that tax on sales
has not appeared to me any more eXpe-
dient now than when IL was brOached
here three years ago. There are many
gentlemen here and throughout the
country, for whose Judgment I enter
tain the greatest respect, who seem to
regard the question with favor, and it
has the recommendation OF that import
ant officer at the present time, the COM
missioner Of interal revenue. II may
be that the only way to satisfy its advO-
Gates Of the impoliCy Of this measure
will be to test it. | feel certain II adopt
ed, that the first thing our constituents
would demand at the next session would
be its repeal.
Taxes, to be tolerated az all, should be
equal II taxes were placed upon sales,
then those living near the places Of pro-
duction would have advantages not
available to those remote, in addition TO
the less cost of freight. The merchan-
die foreign or domestic, from the At
lantic coast, before it reaches the Mis-
sissippi passes through the hands OF
many owners, and according to the the
Ory o: taxing sales its cost would be
increased at each successive transfer.
SO barrel OF -four, from st. Louis or
Chicago before it reaches New York is
often bought and sold 8 half dozen
times The tax would be cumulative,
and Eho informal commerce Of our coun-
try, always free until now, would be
chOked and damned up-conflned to
narrow localities Instead of being ma
tiOna', so far rs oar laws could make it
so, IL would become provincial or sec
ti0nal, We should destroy that great
feature ~ America, the spirit and en-
tcrprisa q trade OF what use would
it be TO produce or to manufacture, if
the channels Ol trade were TO have CO
struCtiOns pla2al in the way and riging
higher aud higher at every step4 Better
could The manufacturers and producers
afford to pay the whole tax than 10 have
II imposed in this form. .
Then il would revOlulioni2e' trade and
drive Ou, o. employment the middle
hlen. In the cities only men OF large
capitalize importers and wholesale
merchants-w would be patronized They
would at once combine the trade OF
wholesale dealers, jObhers and retailers
Country merchants would buy Of the
original importer, Il he chose to break
mp original packages, and the OcCupa-
tion.of jObbers would be gone. Those
who desired to buy at retail would seek
the stream Of merchandise at It's fnun-
tain head before it mad trickled through
gateWays where It's cost would be in
creased by repeated taxation. That
merchandise often transferred would be-
come unsaleabIc as compared with that
not so transferred. Il would be soon
understood That the merchant. whose
goods Wbtu distributed were charged
with but one tax, possessed advantages
over his more humble neighhor whose
goods could not bH disposed or without
having paid not less than three taxes.
/ think II important that our laws
should disturb the usual agencies of
trade as little - possible This meas.
uTe would clog and harrass every bust
ness transaction of the country, Il
would increase the prices of every raw
material and OF every perfected manu-
facture out Of ali proportion TO the
amount Of revenue to be obtained,
According to the laws of trade, q profit
would be taxed upon the tax itself as
forming part OF the original cost. To
the consumer il will be the most expen-
slve OF all taxes in proportion to the
amount realized Nor could it be lairly
and fully collected. More frauds aud
evaslons would be practised than under
all provisions Of the internal revenue
Laws. The number Of men who do not
keep an accurate account of sales is now
large and would be larger None hu:
merchants do this, and yet vast amounts
Of property are disposed Of by ether
persons. The farmer aud mechanic
would be compelled to study book
keeping by double entry. could pur-
sue this subject much further, hut | do
not think it necessary. If our agcIe-
gate sales should amount TO $4,000 600
600, the halr Of one per cent would yield
but sl5,000,000. That ia not enough
for so large an experiment
BRAEDoN.-Messrs. Ross s. Pitts of
Brandon are about TO remodel and en-