The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-17
70 THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Since the day Of August last there has been ac-
cumulatng large amount Of Indebtedness TO the gov
OF the United Slates by the ship companies
here doing business coaswise and which are sought TO
taxed by sections los and 100 the Internal Revenue
act OF July l3 1868 These sections call for tho tar Of
two and half per the amount Of receipts
for passengers and mails transported by these shippers
The receipts for freight taxable because payment
Of the tonnage duty q the custom house 10 deemed
SUFFICIENT in that behalf In the act Of July IL,
1885, section l03 section. Il will DO obssrvsd
that that section repeats the portion Of section 109 which
called for return % the or the gross amount
Of recspts tor transportation Of property" or freight
intending that payment Of tonnage duty shall exempt
only the freight list not the passenger list
This interpreter Of the law person in the employ
Of the government, and whose duty was 70 act IN
reference TO "a proper enforcement or the internal
revenue laws" in the month Of January last made
thorough examination and asccrtained that OF
those coast wise shippers had paid single dime 10 the
government bsen assessed during the Ave months
liability to taxation, though the Commissioner Of In
,erna Revenue had expressly by his circular No ITO,
dated August !, 1856, simultaneously With the taking
effect Of the law decided their liabilities In enums
rating exemptions from payment Of the tax he makes
exception OF the transportation Of passengers and mails
except from transportation Of passengers for hire Of
the mails OF the United States upon contracts made
prior 70 August I, 1855, will be exempt &c, the
ioer aforesaid having died in the once Of the Revenue
Agent information against the principal ones Of these
delinquent Shippers whose oicss are mostly located
addressed TO the Commissioner OF Internal Revenue the
following $500
e.d a IN. ps % ss no
Of the limited .re running s. 90 ~ ad
T m ee y such q
ASA and Askn \
additional per cent for neglect the
~
h o He NY
". 4 ~ ss.:s: p.'S
did 0r a% wsS said sss hoy me
send few copies Of circular No no. Of August 1856
Previously TO the foregoing vote . netice had been
served the Assessor Of the Fourth assessment dis
tnct ~ follows 4te4 s.ssr w
md that the Pacific Mail Steamship Company have NOT
made you Of their gross receipts for ps-engers
as only Sen s g e ~ ss s
sn n n u =: @ FOR
This Assessor, bleeding the statement Of the Commits.
sionsr in his circular Of August 1884, snd understand
10 .cs IN the premises nsdss The Aforesaid
70 action the following note was addressed 10 m Assa
ant Assessor Ia tho division Of the Third districts vhcse
an extensive ship company transact their busness:-
have day acd information In ths odacc 81 The
Hs.snas s Assn csSfs s0e IN hs city .san g. Mrhaf
and refassiio make return monthly o. tbs os. amsaas
q OF q s. ST. s ss q
IN REQUIRED BY section g. SUBJ % 10 board and lodg
ing Of passengers have asked for statement Of said
ccpts from Augustl 1885, basis for your
but they have failed 10 furnish It, have tho right roach
but viii leave this Will you please 70 assess the
~ and 10 addition l00h the secisk
and the hno failure 10 special tax Of each
steamer vessel As u!erprst tie aw, the Assessment
inspection and Ascettaned said shippers be den-
queu bog leave report them 10 your Official
action In the premises.
No steps taken under the aforesaid information
and collect the taxes due from said company
II 10 gratifying learn thai quite recently the Solicitor
OF the Treasury has given his opinion that s'staam
boats and other vessels paying tonnage duty arc pot
exempt nom the TAX imposed by the ninth section Of ID
act Of July ~, 1896" This s what tho Commissioner
sad long ago Augus 1865 In his circular or shst
date. II Is hoped that the SOLICITORS cumulative de-
olson may quicken the steps o. assessors and their
ssants TO the performance Of their delayed duties
government may no logger seem chat .sthero
70 force In the DEGREES Of Venice II s the duty Of
these ocers expressly defined BY the law In neg
lect refusal land such has been the OF these
panies for threc-quaren Of year Ia face oil PLAIN law
and an early deciaion Of the COMMISSIONER 10 add
the ten ccntnm II ID mot plain
how such duty be shirked longer.
There another class Of ship companics those whose
ships visit foreign ports but the In respect them
has directed different method Of taxation The TAX 10
required be paid by stamps placed upon
passage tickets. This method should not have been
adopted by Congress, as invites 70 The practice Of
frauds The government which easily dlscov-
cred This branch OF the shipping interest should
ceive the careful inspection Of the revenue ofacen