Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-12-24
vol. ~: NO SO.

A4f AAt dAsSDNTs ~ Atic FlISp Lew Atei AHu eH-
erey iu the officers and frequently relieves
them from local embanassments that tend
to diminish their usefulness. This ofies
has proved Of great importance to the ser
vice. and should always te flled with men
of undoubted integrity and capacity, who
possess a high order Of general business
qualifications. The present salary Is not
always sufficient to command such qualif-
cations, and / venture to recommend the
propriety and economy Of Increasing the sal
ary. The apparent reason for placing the
appointment Of Supervisor where it now
rests no longer exists, and is not likely to
again occur. | would therefore suggest
that the law be amended so that this officer
shall be nominated BY the President and
confirmed by the Senate.
Detectives, as thoy are now termed bv
law, are in fact the assistants Of supervisors.
The name has proved Of no advantage to
The service, and is generally regarded as
odious, and for this reason many very com
petent men have been unwilling to accept
of the appointment Of detectives. [ am of
the opinion that the public service wcald be
promoted by changing the name to that Of
assistant supervisor. leaving thc manner of
appointment, the tenure Of Office and com
pensation as now provided By law.
THE INTERNAL REYESuE LAWS NOT UNJUST
or BURDENsoME.
Of the total receipts of Internal Revenue
for the fiscal year 1869 there we're collected
from the following sources: Spirits S45, ,062, =
204; tobacco So, ,430, 70S; fermented liquors
$50, 996.79; incomes and salaries $34,-
79I, ,s56; stamps SO, 420, TO; banks and
bankers s3,335, ,517; legaeies and sucoessions
81, ,434, sos; schedule A and passports 1912
4l4; gas companies s2,II6,006; from the
other sources $25, Al, ,359. Total $780,
039, 34l. The amount from other sources
was collected from the gross receipts Of
railroads, insurance aud express companies,
from the sales Of brokers, dealers and man
utacturers, from special taxes and from pen
altie9 and miscellaneous sources.
1t Is estimated that at least ninety per
cent ofthe entire receipts was collected from
few objects and sources, all Of which may
be classed as luxuries, or as the accumulated
and associated wealth Of the country. It's
difficult to see how the necessary revenue
from internal sources can be obtained with
much greater respect for labor and more
justice to the common industry than is Sc
cured by the present law.
l desire to add my opinion that the pres
ent system ought, in a short time, if faith
fully administered, to yield a revenue not
below the following estimate from the fol.
lowing sources: Spirits, 1000, 600. To
bacco, $35, ,0o0, 600. Fermented liquors,
IS. 100000. Incomes, salaries, and sched-
ule A. S40.090,000. Stamps, $50, 900, 600.
Banks and Bankers, S3, 800, 600. Legaeies
and SUGGESTIONS $f,000,000 Gas Compa
MES. 81. 100000. Total, $l73.o00,O0o
EXPENSES OF COLLECTING THE REVENUE
There were paid, for expenses incident tc
the collection of the revenue for 1865, IS,
776,SI4 for 1869. 81, 395, 395 Deduct the
amount paid to storokeepers, Act Of July
20, 1867, $G0S. .9lS, leaving for this year, on
the basis Of the account for 1868, 50, ,SS5,-
AT; decrease in favor of 1869, 81, ,S9I, 337.
By an amendment 10 the act Of July 20,
1868, passed March 4, 1869. the compensa
tion of storekeepers is to be repaid to the
Government by the manufacturers of distil-
led spirits and owners of warehouses These
repayments are found to be difficult to col
lect, and am of the opinion that this mode
of paying storekeepers should be abolished
at once Only SI75, 7S5 Of the amount ex-
pended by the Government for this purpose
had been repaid on the 30th of June 1869
AfterJuly Goth, 1868, aud prior to June
30th, 1869, a period Of eleven months, the
number of gallons of spirits shown By the
records Of this Office to have been produced,
and the tax paid thereon, vas 36, 7O5, ,046,
and Of brandy from fruit during the same
period, S7l, 727 Total on which the tax
was collected, 81, SIS, 783; produced during
the same period and remaining in boad JULY
LIST, 1869, l6, ,6e3, SIS; showing a production
in the eleven months of 54,239, ,62I, being
at the yearly rate of 50, ,I70. 496 gallons.
The following summary from the statisti-
cal reports viii convey some idea Of the
magnitude and Importance of this bureaus
labors Number Of seizures for violation of
law for the fiscal year Of 1858, LA; num-
ber Of seizures for violation of law for the
first quarter Of 1870, l ,02l; number of cases
compromised during the fiscal year 1859,
l52. Amount received as tax thereon SIS,
600. 4S6; assessed penalties fixed by law
$4, 4,I30.63; in lieu of fines. penalties and
forfeitures $l25, ,l649S; number of cases
compromised during the first quarter Of
1870, HI Amount received as tax there
on SIS, ,227, 80; assessed penalties fixed by
law SlO,6ll, CO; in lieu Of fines, penalties
and forfeitures s5,S3l, 70s; number of com
promise opinions prepared from March 18th
20 September Both, 1869, S04. These cases
occur throughout the entire country, inyol.
wing extensive litigation, the preparation
f9r and conduct Of which on the part Of the
Government consumes a large share of the
time and attention Of this Office, and con
stitutes in itself an important business
Number of suits brought in Federal courts
during the fiscal year 1869, 4,57S.
The number Of distineries registered is
S64; number Of officers connected with the
Internal Revenue service who report to the
Bureau, 6,003.
IN concluding this report, ] desire to ae
knowledge my obligations to the officers and
the clerks, both male and female, of the In
ternal Revenue Bureau, for their valuable
assistance, for their honest devotion to the
public service, and for the very faithful dis
charge Of their official duties.
G. DELANo, Commissioner.
To Hon. GEo. S. boutwell,, Secretary Of