Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-02-17
WOODSTOCK, VIRGINIA.
Thursday Morning, February II, 1876,
Dear Herald,

For the Shenandoah Herald.l
Feb. ~, 1876.
Dear Herald,
AS the question OF
revenue Is one of great inheritance at
this time, and ENGAGING the serious,
earnest attention of the public as well as
OF our legislators, permit countryman,
through the columns of your paper, TO
call their (our legislators) attention to
taxable subject, which he feels satis-
fed win, at no heavier tax upon the pro
Queer, bring into the treasury of the
state a sum far greater than many would
imagine unless duly considered. Prior
TO 1861, the uniform price Of ardent
spirits was FIVE cents per drink cash, or
six and quarter cents if charged, and
By common consent, had been establish
Cd Tor over thirty years, notwithstand-
ing the gradually increased price of Ii
iuol uP " lhot
At one time there was, and for al+thc
writer knows, may be in existence yet,
u statnte requiring keepers Of ordinaries
10 keep posted in some conspicuous
place, in their houses tariff of rates
charged for all they kept for comfort Of
man and beast, and these prices We're
regulated by law, if not they could have
been and can be now. 1t is well es
tablished fact that retailers of the ardent
have been since the war charging one
Auuared per cent higher for drink than
prior to 1861. At the close of the war,
or shortly thereafter, the government
imposed a tax of 500 per gallon on all
liquors distilled, this with the increased
expense of living was their excuse for
the 100 per cent 0dvance, but the tax
has been reduced over 100 per cent and
the expense Of living is comparatively
little more than before the war, and yet
This 100 per cent is still cl arged the
consumer. would suggest, in view of
these facts, that the present uniform
price of ten cents per drink for spiritu
Gus liquors and wines and FIVE cents per
drink for ale, beer or cider be fixed by
law. and that in addition. to the present
specific tax imposed upon keepers of or
linaries and saloons, they be required
to pay one cent on every rink of spir.
ituous liquor, mixture thereof or wine,
and one half cent on every drink of ale,
beer or cider, and that all persons Ii
.ensed to sell spirituous liquors, wine,
dc, by the gill, half~pint, pint &c, be
required to pay, in addition to the spe
cifc tax now imposed Oh them, tax Of
- cents per gallon on all liquors sold
by them, statement of which and the
tax SO assessed, 10 be made and paid in
the same manner and subject to like
penalties as is hereinafter provided for
in cases of keepers OF ordinaries and sa-
LIONS. And that the law require any per-
son licensed TO sell liquors by the drink,
TO return to the assessor of his magister-
al district or ward, on the first day of
each month, statement, giving the
number of gallons Of spirituous liquors,
wine, ale, beer and cider sold by him dur
ing the month previous; this statement to
b. supported by affidavit taken before a
Justice or Notary and filed with said
statement. The returns in gallons of
Keepers Of ordinaries and saloons to be
reduced to drinks by the following rule:
ell retailers Of liquors know that the old
rule that one pint Of spirituous liquor
will acreage eight drinks, and one pint
CT ale, beer or cider two, will hold true
low. Then this statement, supported
as aforesaid and reduced to drinks to be
returned by the assessor to the county
Treasurer or proper officer, authorized
10 collect other taxes, within ten days
from the first day Of the month next en-
sueing the month for which the states
ment was made, and the party SO max
ing such ststement lie required to pay
the amount of said tax of one cent and
half cent as before mentioned; and in the
event he shall fail to pay said tax with
in ten days from the first day of the
month next ensueing, the one for which
his statement was made, to be subject
to a fine of flee dollars for each day so
in default I; and further, that in the event
be shall fail to make return of state
ment as herein required, or pay any tax.
es due by him under the provisions of
this law, together with all fines that may
he due by reason of his failing to pay
said tax within ten days as aforesaid, on
OF before The first day of the second
month, next ensuing the one for which
a statement was or should have been
made and returned as herein prescribed,
then the license under which lie has
ben doing business to he revoked, and
If after tina! date found selling liquors,
wine, ale or beer to be dealt with and
subject to the same penalties as those TO
whom license was never granted Let
The prese Mt laws governing assessors and
tax collect ,rs apply to the collection Of
those taxes. ! see no difficulty in exc