The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-19

furthermore that to-day even more fayorabl
terms could have been made
1t will be readily seen how disastrous thi
y will be to the railroads when it is understood
that the rate established by the Saratoga com
blnatlon was 81 per 100 pounds, and that tina
those previously prevailing. Add to thi
condition OF affairs the fact that such roads o
the New York Central and Hudson. and LAX
Shore show falling off in the traffic receipt.
lor the month Of January, compared will
January OF last year, of over 500 600 anC
1900 respectively, and assuming that thi
insane railroad war and the present condition
OF business are to continue for any consider
! able length Of time, and we have basis fol
, estimating the prospects of railroad compa
MES in the immediate future by no means
fatterlng to such corporations. Lake Shore
as we are credibly informed, shows a de.
crease IN the traffic receipts for the first week
II February, compared with the correspond
ing week OF last year, of $4,000, or at the
rate of over $500 600 for the month. The
receipts Of this road for February, 1873, were
IN round figures $1,000, 600; for February,
1874, $l,3OO,OOO, and for the present month
they will probably not exceed 81, ZOO, OOO
Where is this thing to stop?
Ambiguity Of Tariff Laws-Domes,ic Spirits
Correspondence New York Bulletin
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 1875
It is singular, after all the trouble we have
had about the construction of tariff and tax
laws, that Congress should persistently aim at
ambiguity in framing them The following
section. proposed in the new bill, would puz-
zle almost anybody:
That from and after the date of the passage
Of this act, there shall be levied and collected
on all distilled spirits on which the tax pre-
scribed by law shall not then have been paid,
and whether the said spirits shall then be in
dlstlllery bonded warehouse or not a tax Of
one dollar on each proof gallon, or wine-gal-
lon when below proof, to be paid by the dis
tlller, owner or person having possession
thereof, before removal from the distillery
bonded warehouse I; and SO much OF section
three thousand two hundred and fifty-one OF
the Revised Statutes of the United States as
| is consistent herewith is hereby repealed =:
provided, that in additi III to the tax of seven
| ty cents per gallon imposed by laws now ex-
| listing, there shall be levied and collected a
tax OF fifteen cents, being one-half the in
crease OF tax under this act, on each and every
proof-gallon, or wine-g gallon when below
proof, OF domestic distilled spirits manufac-
tured and placed in bonded warehouse prior
to the day when this act shall take effect and
held in bonded warehouse at that time, and
on all such spirits then held by distillers,
possession or under their control distilled
spirits in stamped packages and any person
who shall sell, transfer or otherwise dispose
OF any such distilled spirits after this act
takes effect until an additional stamp to be
especially provided for this purpose by the
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue, denoting
payment of the additional tax of fifteen cents
per gallon herein imposed, is purchased and
attached to the package or packages contain
ing the same IN such manner as the Commits
sioner OF Internal Revenue shall prescribe,
shall be subject to and pay penalty OF one
dollar Tor each and every gallon SO removed;
and the spirits SO removed shall be forfeited |
to the United States; and provided further,
That on all brandy, gin, rum, and on ell com
pounds and preparations of viii III distilled |
spirits IS component part Of chief value, |
embracing all forms OF distilled spirits i'm
ported from foreign countries, on which the |
duty as fixed in the Revised Statutes, is two
dollars per gallon, the duty hereafter to be
levied, collected and paid shall be two dol
lars and fifty ceats per proof gallon.
The idea here is, that the most available re-
source for revenue is the product of the still,
because the impression prevails that the man
who drinks liquor is willing to stand the tax
But they forget that the liquor drank in the
country is not the only or even the great ele-
ment of consumption of domestic distilled
spirits 1t is an element, hardly considerable.
The distiller in the West, where the corn
grows, makes highwines and alcohol for use
IN trade, the airs, and for export. Nobody
drinks highwines or alcohol The recttiers
make French spirits or other compounds out
OF highwines, but there is an immense amount
as the basis of articles used in
pursuits and by druggists.
In the bill proposed, all spirits on hand
are to pay the increased tax, and to single
out this trade and large industry that pays
more revenue to the government than any
other, seems like an outrage. Congress would
not dare tax imported spirits, toblcco, cigars,
Jewelry, champagnes, or wines on
1and.
The section above quoted, besides being ;;
7ery silly and decidedly unjust thing, is con-
radlctory The first part of it says spirits,
h bond included, shall pay one dollar per gal 6
on on and after the passage of the act. The :
'roviso says spiri s in bond, made prior to
he passage OF the act, shall pay eighty-five ,
ents per gallon tax. 1t is patent to ANYBODY ,
hat spirits in bond when the act passes can s
lot be spirits made subsequent to that.
So everything in bond, under this bill, {
would pay 10 cents increase or 50 cents per !
allon, if the Treasury people would construe !
under their ordinary rule that the last part !;
t section conflicting with former part, E
eAS AOAhASA Pai" A'ut tuty mIOuU G
AXE the other view and charge 80 cents in "
rease on everything in bond. b
IMPORTED SPIRITS {
The portion of the above relating to i'm i
orted distilled spirits assumes thai all i'm T
orsed distilled spirits pay 50 per gallon +,
his is not true as regards brandy under e
roof By Blodgets manipul ltion of law, Ill
randy under proof must pay so per cent ad 4
alorem. Some brandy pays S4, SIS and Sc !,
er gallon, but the law provides that no dis 81
lied spirit imported shall pay a less duty il
IAN 81 per gallon, aud cheap brandy under y,
roof must pay that in any event. h
SILK MIXED GOODS IN THE LITTLE TARIFF .,
In the Little Tariff bill, hereafter to be
nown as the act of Feb. 8, 1875, there are 81
lrious things about the silk duty. The 4,
ling is badly mixed. In the body of the 90
ction. a duty of go per cent is placed upon or
goods where the component Of chief value to
silk. In other words 81 per cent of silk, h,