, 1877-12-28
THE COTTON.TAX STEAL.


THE COTTON.TAX STEAL.
Tho Attempt Of tbs Now OrlAnns Cotton
Factors to Rob Cnele Samuel by AsklnR n
Itofund Of 4 per cont for tagging and Rope
.Some Quser AnlIavitp,
srcetat corrtsponirnet nf TIE Tribune.
NEW ORLEANS, Ls., Dee. 25-To commences
fairly on this cotton steal business, let mo pre-
mise by stating that cotton IA bought and sold
BY tho bale; tl,o fastor paying tho farmer AZ
much for the hagG!nV and ro1'e per pound as be
pays for The cotton. The injustice of these
claims for tho rciundinx Of per cent Of the
tax enid TO have been paid consists In this: The
farmer baled the cotton and sold It., baggtng
and rope Included, 10 the factor; the factor sold
It, bagg1nE and rope included. 10 The man,,-
fucturcr. II anybody, then, u entitled TO
rchate, It II the manufacturer. And next 10
him. the farmer; whereas. these clntms are
t'c!ng pressed BY the factor OF ruiddleman who,
by ambfae1tcrity In manipulating buyers' and
selIers' scalcs, has already "taxca " the poor
devil OF farmer and now is after UncI4 Samuel.
The history Of these New Orleans tare clams
II about this: Cotton was taxable from, Oct. l.,
1862, to and Including the crop Of lHi1, the tar
varying from onc.hsli cent 10 two' cents, ihres
cents, and two nnd onc.l,alf centr. al which lat
statute before the passage of tho act Of July,
1sfd, which al the sa.lc time inercase,' tho tat
frt,tn Two rents per pSuntt to three rcnta. NJ
deduction for tnse-waa allowed hY tbs Internal
revenue office In any district utIor IL Sav. II,
~. and ts.k q tl,at no refuntiing wa al!oweA
Tie first claim tte1 for refund was that Of Will
lam Edwards. TN May X. 1854. Other cIaitns
were filed, sosuc of which we're allowed and
son,c rejected. The claims now being pressed
cover taxes assessed from Masth :ap 1aSj, to
.Tlff< II 1EN N nl1arn nk,rt1t 14n
&S:,0oU, though. rs stated 10 a fofmcr letter,
these arc only entering wedges 10 be followed
b. other Thousands II successful.
The weighing Of cotton to thoss year1 for a.
acsstng internal fevene tax was d'nn under t!lo
direction Of d Chief Wetgher appointed ~ the
Assessor, anil tho active weighing was dons by
bis assistants. It Il proven by atlh,avIta thst
ne'.cr the a Assessor ,aS nor the ch!et Wetgher,
the weehers to make any allowance for tarr,
aud that tiss Collectors coElc:tc'l the tarcw In
full III Assessed. Il n afso \ fact that several
q the .M, asss;snt wslxhsFs d. during par. Of
varying from tlvo 70 flsty ponnla per bale. In
1872 ConkIIn, tlen Supervisor, Investigated
Tits subject very thoroughly, sntl reported al
ssS.sy 'S ths t"r' s. sa, One Ts~s As
December, ls73, hc nlasls another
affidavit which contsa:.Icted the nrsl one.
TerelIs testimony Is open T. the objection that
Oiiicrr IN the aetyirc, nnJ when the LIZ on tot
tun was being collected, aud wl,iyh were telter.
ntcu under natb In 1877 in presence OF the M.
rcrrisor, t'ar he taken ~ inofe 'ikris to be
true than tho cphtrary statements It!atie two
years later, when lie wnH III, iunetr IN the scry-
Ice, and when his Testimony WSs sought BY a
claimant claimant }or tue purpose Of r0Sb'us the aor'
Stc{iarrtty, another weigher tastttlea that the
usunl allowance was froIn treaty to twenty-five
| pt'ltlds per bale. nt1d often bales weighing 5D0
puuBda ucrH returned tor taaatloD ~ weighing
| 40 pounds.
A. Il. Dei'1.Ic and {. q. Dcl'Islr, also weigh
ers, in recent alidavlts. swear tha. In weighing
cotton IL New Orleans u,laes direction Of the
Cisef Wrigler they made M allowance. ft,r taro
during 1867 md 1etis. This IL utterly in,.
probable, fur every eutiun furtor knew tho law
| allowed hin, pcT cent after Augsist. tSfl;.
/ send herewith bateh Of aill,lnyfts upnu
which claimants rt,y, snt1 witcf, shaw how Wild
men Will s"cu, when they want mouc5 from the
| Government:
! Peter sankey swcars. July last, thn. he Is a
cotton brokcr. "Thu factOrfs weights ut which
he sold were GENERALLY lrss thu, ths t;uycrn.
lncnt Weights, Tor tae reason that coiton kept
| dry In ths pseas wuulu lu>r weIEht." But j. Z.
Dc Grey vas Government wetGlscr III 1871 unit
| 1Stl5, and he swrars tat, w!Iu "t!lc Askgtair
paid HIM ays cents pcr bale fur weighing ft,t tho
nnvr11'acnt, The factors p1si h!ln 10 cents per
SUPPOSE that the tactos over got the wvfst ?"
| OF hfa tigurGsf
A. ". Simmons commenced weighing cotton
under D. l.. shearu5. Government Wclgt,er.
eepte1ns'cr. 1915, nlM1 remained uno year. "All
the time WAS thus engaged Intended to HIsc
liberal weights to flcttIrb; that tu making an
engnpement rittl Shcarer ha {atllRut) was not u
weigh the cotiOn, but tu furnish we.ghta by esl
| tfmata nnll return NuHlllci 0f bales tlil,A es,t
mated uINn. shrarcs sasd he lid not expect ait
tic cotton to be weighed. Attlaat Was always
liberal TO thu factot," md now tic factor tries
to eet Simmons to swenr flttn fen znuse DOL.
| - fPflrt sfvf