The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-25
Letter from Hon James II. Plat, Jr. /,
Protesting Against stamping TObac-
CO Skinned Ina Bonu.

Protesting Against stamping TObac-
CO shipped Ina Bond.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21--Hon. Alfred
Pleasanton, Commissioner of Internal Rev
enue: Sr-I have the honor to call your
attention to an order, which am inform
ed is about to. eminate from your office, the
practical effect of VIII ca will add conside
rable item to the burden now borne by
the manufacturers of tobacco in Virginia.
The order refer red to is in relation tostamp-
lug with export stamps all original pack
ages of tobacco for. shipment in bond.
Such an order will result in heavy addi-
tional burden upon large majority of the
tabacco manufacturers in Virginia, aud
can see no possible benefit to accrue to any
one from such an order, except to the to-
bacco manufacturers of Brooklyn and New
York, whose factories are virtually bonded
warehouses, and who will, practically, un-
der its operations, be given almost entire
control of the home market.
| feel it my duty as the representative
of district largely interested in the man
ufacture of tobacco, to earnestly protest
against this order, and to urge you to re-
consider it for the following, among other
reasons, viz:
First. Though the law may unquestion-
ably be construed to require stamps on all
original packages, yet that it is capable of
a different construction by the action of
your predecessors, VINO, after mature and
careful consideration of the subject, have
required that only the case or exterior
package be stamped.
Second. 1t is evident. that this is amply
sufficient, because it is done after the inner
packages have been branded, weighed and
counted by the revenue inspector, who sees
them put in the cases, which are nailed
and strapped, and thus shipped under the
control of the collector, and it is impossi-
Bile for any one to tell, without breaking
open the cases when in transitu, whether
the interior packages have been stamped
or not, and the afiixing of stamps can be
no protection to the government, which
already fully protected, for the separation
and offering for sale of such packages
without the proper tax paid stamps, would
at once make them liable to seizure
Third. Export stamps on small pack
ages of snuff and tobacco, of one to twen-
ty pounds each, would increase the tax
thereon from one to twenty cents per
pound, amounting to prohibition, and
reduce the revenue rather than increase it,
by closing many small factories in Vir-
ginia which contribute so largely in aggre-
eating the immense tax now collected from
this production.
Iu conclusion, in behalf of the manufac-
turers of Virginia, who are earnestly strv-
ing to conduct a legitimate business under
existing laws and regulations, aud who
have contributed over ten millions of dol
lars in the past eighteen months to the
revenues of the country, in behalf of thou
sands of men. women and children, who
now derive support from this heavily
taxed industry and in behalf of the whole
State OF Virginia, so deeply interested in
the tobacco trade, most earnestly urge
that you will reconsider your determina-
ton in this matter, and allow the regula-
tons 10 regard to stamping tobacco for
transmission in bond to remain as at
present established
| am, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, JAMES II. PLATT, JR.