The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-11-12

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petrated upon the government, Third
Tho extent OF these frauds. Fourth
Checks recently established 10 prevent the
recurrnce Of the same. Fifth, He suggests
legislation, which in his opinion il
necessary to insure fuller collection in
the future upon distilled spirits.
The Commissioner says with regard to
to the additional legislation required to
enforce honest collection OF tax on distill,
cd spirits, and gives 1t as his opinion
that the only law necessary is one
that shall make the requirements Us
stringent and the penalties for defraud-
ing the Government as severe in the case
ofrectiiiers as they now are in the case OF
distillcrs. The rectifer should be re-
Quircd to give bond in an amount equal
to the tax represented by all the spirits
he can possibly rectiiy each month. The
house and tract Of land upon which the
establishment Is located should be for
ieited to the United States in case OF
fraud. lie should not be allowed to have
any spirits at his reCtifying house except
those he purchases for rectiiCatiOn and
sells under reCtilier's stamps Under the
present system Of detecting frauds ut
least thirty days must elapse before the
discovery could be made and guilt fixed,
as the apparatus in rectifying house
capable Of reCIifying quantity Of spirits
upon which the tax would amount to
SlO,OOO u month may not be worth more
than $4,000. 1t will readily be seen
that under the present law, which only
iorfcits the apparatus and spirits owned
by him at the time Of the seizure, u rec.
tiler may mid in deirauding the Govern.
mcnt OF $4,000 and forfeit only $4,000
by absconding to foreign country. He
also escapes criminal punishment,
have also TO suggest that
the law now in force in regard
to the returns to be made by the reCliti.
crs are so indefinite that some legislation
isneedcd to enforce the regulations Of the
Commissioner. l also think 1t would be
better 4 the reCtiiiers, distillcrs and
wholesale liquor dealers were required
to make transcripts OF their books month.
ly, instead of this labor being performed
by the local officers, rs it is at present. II
would also relieve the officials Of an i'm
mensc amount Of labor, and would ac.
cOmplished the more important result Of
preventing the destruction OF tho books
by the parties about to be detected in the
fraud, and there would then be n dupli-
cate copy in this office that would always
be admissible evidence in court against
the guilty parties. am firmly Of the
opinion that the present large tax upon
distilled spirits can be collected with but
small loss. This opinion is based upon
the fact that every storekeeper, gauger
and empIoye who Is connected with
the disIilICry where the frauds Is
pcrpctratcd, becomes q pensiOner upon
the distillGrs. II therefore distillers he
kept under such strict surveillance that
the amount Of money gained by fraud il
not sufficient to pay Il large corps of off.
GERS and wOrkmen in necessary cOllusiOn
with them to COnsummate the fraud, they
will, as II matter Of policy, be honest. As
an Indication Of the extent OF the
frauds above described, have the honor
to report that documentary evidence is in
possession Of this office which has war.
runtcd the seizure Of ~ distilleries and
81 rectiiying houses, and implicated over
80 United States gaugers and storckCep.
ers. This evidence also shows the issue
between July /, 1874, and May !, 1875, Of
fraudulent spirits by the duplication Of
10000 packages containing probably 300.
600 proof gallons, and by the aid Of false
gauging to an additional amount Of /, 900.
900 proof gallons. This, Of course, is
but portion Of the fraud actually
committed, but in itself indicates Il
loss Of tax to the Government in ten
months to an amount not less than
81 ,GjO,00O The receipts from all sources
relating to fcrmentcd liquors for the
fiscal year were 80, l4l,O0i, n decrease Of
$lG0,67j, rs compared with 1874. The
number Of brewers manufacturing fer"
mCnted liquors il 1884.
The Commissioner expresses full con.
lidencC In the stamp system for the cOllec.
tiOn Of revenue. The number Of cases
compromised during the year was IA,
md the amount received by compromise
SljG,j7a
A Recommendation il made that the de-
serving Gaugers receive 81 per day, and
that In some instances the offices OF
Gauger and Storekeeper be consolidated,
by which 100000 can be saved in the
expenses.
The total receipts from tobacco is
S37, ,3O3,4Gl, an increase over 1874 Of
$1,000, ,5SG, and nm increase over any pre-.
vious year Of S2,0l7,ljS. The total
amount collected on tObaCcO and snuff
from September /, 1862, to June, 1875, is
sos, ,3jG,gl0; total collections on cigars,
clierOots md cigarettes for same time
SGS, ,g33,20G. 1t Is expected that during
the current year the assessment OF tax
OH tobacco will be largely increased.
The whole amount oil taxes assessed dur.
Ing the year il $S,g30OO3, an increase
over the previous year Of S3,4H,335.
hc quantity Of distilled spirits in
warehouses July !, 1874, was 17,75j,OGO
gallons; distilled spirits produced dur.
INK the year GO,0JO,425 gallons; total
7S,6sO,34l. Total Withdrawn G5,3l9,14l,
leaving in bond June 80, 1875, l3,3G7,2 ,253
gallons. Spirits removed from ware.
house for export for the year ending
June 80, ISL, 4,OOO,tOO gallons, while
only is7ll3 gallons was withdrawn dur
ing the last fiscal year.
The quantity Of tobacco removed for
export without payment Of taxes was
$9,17T3lj; decrease 81 ,G2l ,Gi1.
The Commissioner says that the force
ofrevcnuc agents Il Inadequate and re-
commends the passnge Of law
authorizing fifteen more men. lie
thinks further that the consolida.
tiOn Of the collection districts
can be made without affecting the reve.
niue and that the plan Of gauging the
wholesale liquor dealers packages by the
U. $. Gaugers can be dispersed with and
a simple system Of checks by stamps sub.
stitutcd which will prevent over issue.
lie recommends making the violation
law, relating to friction matches, Il Grim
inal oilensG punishable by fine and i'm.
prisonment. lie also desires that the in.
ternal revenue agents be empowered to
demand and obtain the inspection Of the
books and papers Of the diStillers, recti.
liers, brewers, Wholesale liquor dealers
and manufacturers Of tobacco, snuff and
cigars.
Weather Report
WAR DEPARTMENT J