The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-09-14

Finance and Taxation.

4 y .
Finance and Taxation.
! 2tN35ts I$f t- sa &
On the Gath OF August Secretar,
Dclano addressed large gathering
At Sandusky, Ohio. His subject wa
the policy and condct ofthe Republi
| can party and Of the administration
Of Gen. Grant. Tho following is i
full reportof those parts Of the spoeci
! which relate 10 tho Internal Rcvenu,
department and the policy followed
by the administration in the manage
mont OF the public debt:
REDUCTION OF TAXATION.
During tho year 1868, in which
the last Administration exercised fal
executive power, with an excise o
81 per gallon upon spirits, of 40 cent?
per pound upon tobacco, f2a and
cents per pound upon cotton, will
taxes upon boots, shoes, clothing, con
fectionery, furniture, in all it's condi
tions of manufacture, leather, oils
saddlery, sugar, soap, fermented
liquors, banks, salos, licenses, in
comes, legacies and successions
stamps, gross receipts of railroads
and q largo number of other objects
the entire receipts from internal rev.
enue sources was but $191, l8O, ,564 %.
With the incoming of tho present
Administration . new tax bill went
fully into effect. By this law the
tax on spirits was reduced from So to
SO cents per gallon; the tax ON tobac-
co from 40 to 81 cents, and l6 cents
per pound while other taxes upon
cotton, boots and shoes, clothes,
clothing, furniture, iron, leather, ma
chinery, oils, saddlery, soap, and 1O5
other articles, were entirely removed
and the articles made tree. This re-
duction of taxation, taking the re-
ceipts from these sources during tho
last Administration, was equal to
s7s, 200, 900.
The present Administration found
the public credit impaired by the
dishonesty and incapacity which
pervaded the public service. The
debt was rather increasing than di-
minishing, with a reduction OF re.
receipts ro m internal tax
alton. How was the failing credit OF
the government to be repaired, it's
current expenses met, and the debt
reduced 10 the face of this discoura-
ging condition This serious and
embarrassing question could only be
solved by an energetic enforcement
of the laws, and a faithful application
of moneys collected to the public
1t was done. During the
first twelve months OF the Admins
tration the receipts from internal
revenue were $l77, ,457,738 29. and
during the first fiscal year tl85, 1885,
S07 81, Notwithstanding the reduc-
tions already stated. Without reduc-
tion, the amount Of receipts from in
ternal sources, on this basis, would
have been SEGA, ,235, 1867 81. The tax
on spirits, during the fiscal 1868, of
the last Administration, yielded only
The first year OF the
present Administration there was
collected and paid into the Treasury
from the same source, S55, ,O0O, 900, an
increase OF $37 600, 900, and this on a
reduction Of IS per cent. ofthe rate
to be collected.
The tax on tobacco at DO cents per
pound, during the last Administers
ton, yielded but $4,000, 900 per an.
mum, while under the present Ad-
with the tax reduced to
SO and l6 cents, al an average of 22
cents, il has placed in theTreasury over
s3l 100000 yearly. This compar-
ison might be extended through the
entire excise list, with II similar re-
suit, though | have selected for con
trast the two articles presenting the
most striking illustration Of waste
falness and speculation on the one
hand. and an improved economy on
the other. Thus You will observe
that the SIS, ,0C0, 900 exempted from
previously taxed has been
recovered, and its loss countorbalan-
ced by faithfully enforcing the rev.
enuc laws, and honestly accounting
for the money collected. Observe
further, that in 1868, in the last Ad-
ministration, tho expenses Of the In
ternal Revenue Bureau were SS,3S7 ;
793 II, while for the first fiscal year
Of this Administration, sho same ex-
penses were reduced to IS, 5,Sl6.4l0 ~
making gross reduction of the cost
of collecting the revenue Of s2,47l,
38l 95.
FALskHooD EXPOSED.
/ desire here to correct false i'm
preston put forth by Democratic
speakers Of the deialcation OF revonue
collectors, and the large amounts due
from them TO tho Government. The
Democratic Congress Address, issued
from Washington in March last,
states that $25, ,O00, 900 have been thus
lost TO the Treasury. 1t needs but u
brief explanation TO correct this er-
ror. The law requires collectors to
receipt monthly to assessors for the
amounts Of the tax list turned over
for collection. The lists thus received
4 ,,,.n;,toI Sn,. hx, tho .nllact.>,. 4, ,.a