, 1876-02-04
how CAN THE WH1sKY-TAX BE COZ.
LECTEOP

LECTEO.p
It Is evident enough, or ought to DO evi-
dent, to tho Treasury Department that tho
present machinery for collecting the whisky
tax Is failuro. It is also evident that the |
rate Of the tag does not affect the ease Of col
lection or di1niulRh tho amount Of staa]ing. |
On tho other hand, the stealiugB grow bigger |
90 the rate is Increased. When tho present /
whisky rings wero formed, the rate was 10 |
cents per gallon. 4 year ago, the rate was
increased to 90 cents and the stealing was
increased in proportion. It has been hxcd at
Ill possible figures, up md down. Originally,
wo believe, 1t was 20 cents, and 1t t.s been
rs high as $3.50, upon which IN ava+~qA nf
IL cents was collected. Cheating has ts.es
carried on industrioualy under every rata *
tar, owing to the defective method of coils
ton, and the defect Of the method is clearly
enough owing to the fact TINT the collec-
tion OF the tax is riaked entirely upou
the honesty Of the Government officials, and
what the honesty Of these Government off,
cials is has been shown in the whisky prose-
c,1tiona that have already boon instituted.
The developments chow that theso oftlcia1s
are cheap mon,-Gaugers, Storekeepers, and
small political bummers, who mike busi-
ness Of seeking these places, aud who almost
invariably stand in with tho liquor men, and
share tho plnnder derived from "tho
crooked" This has been tho experience Of
tho Government for fourt cen years. Tho
present prosecutions may be effoctive for tho
time. They havo resulted in punislling some
mon, and It La to bo hoped will punish 9TH
era, but they arc only temporary. Secretary
BR1srow cannot remain in of1lco forever.
There must be new Secretary, and under
his administration there will bo new sets Of
revenue officials. Now bummor8 will step into
the places of the old ones. Now rings will
be formed. The old methods OF robbery
will bo improved upon, and the new whisky
thieves will be aven more expert than tho old
ones in the business Of pIundering the rove
nue.. We may predict with absolute certain-
ty that this cheating will 60 on just 50 long
as the present methods Of collecting the ta1
are kept In operation, whatever hrmness or
vigor the secretary Of tho Treaaury may dis
play. Tho temptations are too enormous and
the opportunities too frequent to be resisted,
especially when nothing stands In tho way
but corruptiblo officials who follow plunder
!
% profession.
Ia tho Old World. tho experiences OF tho
prominent Go vornmonts arc different They
bnvo Ill entirely different mode OF collection,
| which has worked to charm. It Ia a little
singular that onr Government otaoials IN the
Treasury Department have not studied the
European methods, instead OF leaving such
important interests at the discretion OF minor
officials who are paid s3 or 81 per day. We
levy tax Of 10 or 90 cents, aa the case may
be, mud don't collect it, while England 1evies
d tax Of $2.60 IN gold and collects 1t clean.
| This tax is It's principal source Of revenue,
and evory year tho rovenue from this source
is increasing. IN Germany and Franco, where
the Same method Of collection ia in opera
ton, they have no trouble. Their method Ia
| to taz tho maximum capacity Of the distillery,
the capacity being calculated by tho distiller
at 10 many gallons per month, upon which
tho tax Ia paid In advance, md attor this en-
paolty tar IL paid the goods are free. The1o
are no Government Gaugezs Or storekeepers
employed in the distiuery, tbs only officer
being an Inspector, who watches the progress
of tho distillerB, and tue disti1le1s know moth.
ing Of eta,nps or anything OF tho kind. AL
that the listiliar has to do IL to live up to bin
declaration. and the INSPECTOR helps him do it