New-York tribune., 1873-12-16
WASHINGTON.
TIE FINANCIAL SITUATION.


RsTs, AND TnE TEA AND COFFEE TRApE AZ
FECrKD THE PROPOSITION TO INCREASE TAX
ATtoN-oPINIoNs or LEADING REPRESENTATIVES,
OPPOSITION TO TIE PROPOSED INCREASE.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuNE.l
WAsHINGTON, Dee l6.-The desperate hnanc'"
situation and the proposition TO increase 'aAanon
must affect more or less the railroads, the "nSy
interest and the tobacco interest. and the u" anu
coffee trade. Mr. Beck Of Kentucky, mehoei VI
the WAYS and Means Committee, ana VINO ropio
sents exeeptng only Mr. Sayler of Ohio the largest
whisky district in the country does not oene'e Una.
anv increased taxation is necessary, ana ne saiu
,odav that he would oppose it in every form. When
..ted whether the tax on whisky ought not 10 De
;ncreased in case any additional taxation shond be
found necessary he said no. The tax is already as
much az can be collected The object should DE 10
impose on the hand tax that will yield themoSt
revenue and AT the same time be small enough not 10
invite fraud to resist The present tax OF 40 cents
seems to be the proper He said there was four
tirnes the revenue now derived from whisky as was
obtained when the tax was 81 per gallon, and he
thought there was very nearly as much whisky
made then as now. From the 81 tax the re-
ceipts were something like SlS,OoO.OoO annually,
While they are nov S52 100000 He said the same
was true of tobacco, at an average OF ~ cents
pound He has great faith in the recuperatlve
powers of the country but attributes the scarcity OF
money and the unfortunate situation of affairs to
the extravaganza of the Government. He, at least,
sees in vigorous retrenchment chance for the GOV-
ernment 10 relieve itself without imposing greater
taxes. When asked where he would retreneh he
said he would cut of the Indian service, and thus
save sseOoOOOa year; that he would stop the cree
lion of public buildings. and discontinue the costly
work on rivers and haTbors.
Mr. Fsrweu of Chicago. one Of the heaviest dry
goods merchants in that city, the Chairman OF the
Committee on Manufactures and member OF the
Banking and Currency Committee, said to-day that
he was also unaterably opposed to increased taxa
ton He was not in favor of taxing the gross re-
oeIpts Of railroads, he willing TO put back
the tax on tea and cofIee. He would vote against
either. When asked where the money was TO come
from to pay the expenses of the Government and
the accruing interest its bonds he said ne was III
favor OF increased currency with such machinery as
will regulate it on the principle of supply and
demand. He also said that the panic came. aud
everybody including the Secretary of the Treasury,
whom he does not regard as the ablest iinancler
iH the country, got frightened* importa-
tlons stopped, and customs receipts went
down like weight. They were mending, however,
and he thought that in GO days the receipts would
he up to their old standard. When the crisis came,
hI the importers telegraphed abroad resembling
their orders. He also said that there could be Sc
yerer and a wiser system of economy Tie would
stop All money to Indians, and he thinks that both
the War Department aud the Navy can largely re-
duce their expenses.
Mr.. Sawyer OF Wisconsin is a believer IN cheap
transportation and says that the tax on the gross
receipts of railroads is put back ii viii increase the
cost of travel and transportation OF grain and sup
plies because the railroads viii add to their rates
the amount Of the tax. He has no objection to M
,reasing the tax on whisky, but like Nh. Beck he
thinks the present rate yields more revenue He
said that if Congress had the courage TO put back
the tax on tea and coffee il would be proper thing
70 do the reduction in the cost to the consumer
was not made as general il supposed IT would
e The tax was the easiest collected and the least
onerous.
Representative J. Amber Smith Of Richmond
represents the largest tobacco manufacturing dis
trct Ia the country and he says that the suggestion
Of the Secretary of the Treasury if carried out
would prove very serious burden TO the manufac-
turers lie does not think that any increase ought
10 be made He says that nearly four
ffths of the manufacturing capital OF Richmond
IL INFESTED in the manufacture Of tobacco. Mr.
Smith beliyes in reducing internal revenue taxes on
everything and says a majority OF the Southern
members are of the opinion. He intends to H.
troduoe bill uniting the Internal Revenue Bureau
and the Customs Bureau under one head. He says
there are n tobacco factories IN Richmond alone
When these are all running the revenue from themis
very large When the panic came 1T was very dis
sstrous and nearly all of them suspended with large
quantities of tobacco on hand, not tax paid, and if
there would be any relief IN the money market this
tobacco would be shipped at and the tax would
have TO be paid. He also believes in economy and
thinks there are too many ofiicehOlders, and that
there ought TO be a reduction of expenses instead
of an increase III taxes.
Mr Orr Of Iowa, who represents an agricultural
lii. tl.Nn f.1, 80
The Tariff should be made. aud that the tax on tea
and coffee should be restored and more revenue
raised from duties He thinks railroads should bear
their full share of taxation, but usually taxed
locally in the States. He believes in the right
0f Congress TO control railroads. and that 1t
fshould be done more with q view of ehecting cheap
transportation than as a means of raising revenue
lie says he opposed to any obstacle in the way OF
commerce. tending TO raise transportation charges
and Is in favor of increasing the currency with the
elastic OF convertible principle and such guards
will prevent the accumulation of large amounts of
money at certain seasons of the year n the
cial cities.
Mr. Platt Of the Petersburg VA district, like Mr.
Smith represents large tobacco district. In con-
yersation today he said that he did not think any
Increased taxation necessary TO meet the expenses
Of the Government The present decrease OF revenue
M in his opinion temporary, and there will be little
any falling of from last years receipts IN the remain
ing six months of the present fiscal year Contrary
10 most people, Mr. Platt does not think that the
estimates made by the heads of the various depart
Inents can be prudently cut down. He says great
care has been exercised in making them, and the
respective Secretaries have shown an earnest desire
10 make them as small as possible. The
peDditures of the country must necessarily