New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-03
nP ScUENCT,S REVENUE BILL.

Mr. Schenck's Internal Tax bill, the longest
and one of the most important ever introduced
iutO Congress, aims to reform the abuses ana
frauds of our revenue system, mainly by con-
solidating in the hands of one Ofiicer-the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, all the
bowers and responsibilities which have hereto
fore been divided between the President, the
Secretary of the Treasury, and the Commits
sioner. Whenever an attempt has been made
to remove corrupt officials it has been found
that the Commissioner had no power to remove
or appoint the Secretary could only advise the
President, and the President could only act
after conference with the Secretary and the
Commissioner. as we'll rs with the politicians
and conflicting parties interested in or oppos-
ing the change. Thus each neutralized and
paralyzed the action of the others; nobody
could act dccisvely, and nobody seemed respon-
sible for failure to act.
Mr.. Schenck's bill accordingly places un-
divided power in tho hands of the Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue; makes his Office a
department though not designing thereby to
make its chief member of the Cabinet; gives
him salary Of $4,000 year, and vests in him
absolute authority to appoint and remove every
officer and clerk Of the Revenue service, In
Guiding assessors, collectors, supervisors, in
spectoIs, guagers, and storekeepers; to prepare
and issue instructions, blanks, and stamps; to
systematic every department, and to change the
boundaries of Revenue districts and create new
ones, provided that no State shall have more
districts than it has representatives in Congress
Instead of special agents there is TO be in
every United States judicial district a Super
| of fxc
by the Commissioners at not more than $1,000,
who shall watch the collection Of revenue, in
vestgate and prosecute frauds, report delin-
| quencies, and transfer or suspend inspectors,
guagers, and storekeepers where necessary.
The bill prescribes in minute detail the or
ganization of the Revenue Department and the
duties and powers of all its officers, and intro
duces some changes in the rate of taxation,
Though it makes no alteration in the whisky
tax, Mr.. Schenck informs the House that the
Committee of Ways and Means assume that
the House will reduce it, and expresses his
own opinion in favor of 70 cents per gallon as
the rate at which the Government can most
efficiently collect it. At this rate he looks for
q revenue from this source of $70,0O0,000 for
the ensuing year. instead of the S13,0OO,OOO to
which it is now reduced. The bill abolshes
the system of tobacco and whisky inspectors
paid by the manufacturers, and devolves their
duties upon storekeepers, to be paid by the
Government. Mr.. Schenck estimates the re-
duction in cost of collection by these measures
at $6S9970. The tax on wholesale liquor deal
ers is increased from Ito of one per cent on
all sales over $4,000 to 81 per cent on all sales
over $4,000. This should produce, according
to the statistics of the trade, S24OO0,OOO of adj
ditonal revenue. On distillers there is a license
tax, tax on each barrel. produced, a tax on
sales, and on capacity to manufacture.
Mr.. Schenck's Internal Revenue bill needs,
as its complement and cOadjutOr, the Civil
Service bill prepared by Mr.. Jenckes If these
be passed, and an honest, able, and vigorous
Commissioner of Revenue and Board of Civil
Service Commissioners be secured-whch, per-
haps, we cannot hope for during Johnson's
Administrations beginning of Reform will be
made. Under President Grant, the great bene-
fits of these two measures will be fully felt and
opnraoioted