Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-20
TIE WHISKY FRAUDS.
TREASURY INVESTIGATIONS AND WHISKY

TREASURY INVESTIGATIONS AND WHISKY
SEIZURES
WAsANGToE, May l3,-The Score,
tary OF the Treasury is st1l vigorously
engaged in the work Of prosecuting
the raid against all parties engaged,
or indirectly, in the illicit
whisky distillation Orders for
seizures are daily issued. Among
them was one to day calling for the
seizure Of an establishment in Cincin-
natl Secretary Bristow has directed
that the investigation into the condi
ton OF the distiileries and rectiiyin.
houses OF Milwaukee be complete and
thorough, and the treasury agents ere
requested in all cases where United
States attorneys and revenue officiaIs
fail to give their full support to the
Investigations in progress to report
their names to the department. The
agent at Milwaukee telegraphs to the
solicitor to-day that he has discovered
subterranean tank, with capacity OF
twenty. five thousand gallons, belong
ng TO one of the Milwaukee distillers
Up to this time no changes of revenue
officials other than gaugers and store
keepers have been made. Several Off
GERS Of these grades were removed yes
terday and tu>day.
Solicitor Wilson, Of the Treasury
Department, TO night received a tele-
gram announcing the seizure OF SIS
barrels of whisky in St. Louis to-day,
belonging to Ulrice and Quinlan &
Bro, and another announcing the Sci
zare of the rectitying house Of Pike,
Barrett& Dale, of Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI, May ls.-Collector
Weitzel, by order of the Treasury
Department, this afternoon seized the
large whisky house OF Pike, Doyle &
Barrett, Nos. 8 and 9 Public Landing,
and placed the same in charge of Unit
ed States Marshal Thrall An inven-
tory of the property will be made.
Some interest is excited, as it is under
stood that others may also be involv
ed.
MORE SEIZURES.
ST.. LOUIS, May 13.-The rectifying
establishment of B. A. Feineman Il Co.
Kansas CITY, has been taken possession
of by the United States authorities, and
the distillery of Shehans & Sons, St.
Joseph, has been seized.
PRESS COMMENTS, ETC.
The New York Tribune continues to
war on the whisky ring, and leaves to
Commissioner Douglas the task of ex
planning the following facts, and OF
placing the responsibility where it be>
longs. We quote:
''The excise duties collected on a
gallon of spirits in Great Britain are
ten shillings a gallon, or more than
three times those imposed in the
United States The revenue derived
by Great Britain in the year ended
March 81, 1874, was $73, 100000 from
British spirits, $26,c0O,O00 from
foreign liquors,S9, 100000, from forign
wines, and $4,000, 900 from malt Ii
quors. In the fiscal year 1874 the
United States receivd 100000,
from the gallon tax on spirits, S9,u00,-
900, from malt liquors, and $S,OOO,0U0
from custom duties on foreign wines
and liquors. From 1864 to 1874 the
British revenue from excise duties on
spirits increased more than SO per cent.
without any change whatever in the
tax per gallon. In the fisal year 1870
the United States derived revenue
from spirits of $55, 5s1, 599, including
license fees; and though the tax vas
raised to 70 cents a gallon August l,
1872, the internal revenue office has
never succeeded in matching its re-
ceipts for 1870 under the 80 cent tax"
The New York Bulletin congrat
ulates the Secretary of the Treasury on
the Intelligent zeal manifested in bring
ing these frauds to light, but canno,
hope that the remedy he is applying
will be permanent so long as We have a
revenue system which puts premium
on these very frauds. 1t says:
eve have placed the duty at SO
high figure that distillers feel there is
an adequate compensation to offset the
risks Of exposure. We have put the
premium 50 high as 10 enable the dis
honest distiller to buy up the admins
traitors of the law, and thereby evade
detection and all the penalties of viola
ting the law. And when we have
done so much towards inducing dis
tillers to attempt the evasion OF duties,
we strangely expect that they will hon
estly abide by the law. We now learn
what we should have considered be
fore putting duty Of ninety cents,
on an article that costs only twenty
cents, and there is always large class
Of men in trade with whom pocket
counts for more than conscience, and
who will violate any revenue law II
they can thereby make profit that
seems to warrant the risk. So long as
the duty remains at ninety cents its
corrupting effect will be irresistible
and within twelve months after the
present prosecutions the treasury will
have another crop of frauds to deal
with"
Yesterday, under orders from Wash
ington, revenue officers visited the
centre of the wholesale whiskey trade
in Philadelphia in search of crooked
whisky. Several lots, amounting to
about three hundred barrels, were