New-York tribune., 1877-07-21
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
THE TOBAC CCO-LEAF DEALERS TAX.

WASHINGTON. Friday, July 90 1877.
The following letter upon the subject of the
sprca tax upon tobaccoeaf dealers will he interesting
10 the trade:
OFFICE OF INTERNAL REVENUE, TREASURY DEPT.,
WAsHNGToN, ID. G., july IL, 1877
sIR:-Iu your letter OF tue l7h inst. you that
and shipping tobaccOsteus aud desire Ia be informed
you viii thereby become liable to pay special tax AZ
leaf aler In reply. have inform you that this
oce dec des mat any person who's business II E to sell
broken aud iragmentary tobacco including scraps, cutt
ngs aud clippings, in bulk, dealer, comes within the
terms the statute defining leaf4lealer or dealer in
eafOOacco and must paw a spccal such aud keep
the books and Ike the entries therein which the law
quires The following Of the reasons for this
decisI
FrSt-Tobac o stems aside from the other portions OF
tie natural leaf are largely used in the Manufacture of
the law requires every manufacturer Of tobacco
snuff and cigars TO keep accurate account of all his
purchases and sales OF tobacco stems.
Second-TLere Is the same reason why a dealer in
tobacco stems should keepa book aud enter all his pur
chsses and sales Of tobacco stems there is that the
dealer III the natural Leaf should do SO.
324i OF the United States Revised Statutes, which i'm
poses various special xrs is held To be used generic
term and to inc .uIe strips or stemmed leaf stems and
scraps, frsgmcnttry tobacco, well leaf tobacco
I'm normal aud ordinary condition IA II is cured
pared and pu up for general sale ny plant
STRIPS, scrap- cuttings, clippings and stems
all miOnent parts Of tue natural Leaf, and are all
material which Constitute the basl, Of manufactured
tobacco TIE. all articles Of traffic and
have "a commercial value. The stril stemmed leaf
less tnin natural and normal al acknowledged %
NE leaf tobacco Tn dealer IN strips acsno to
be leaf dealrr aud pays tax any other leaf dealer
though lac taiics IN only portion Of the natural leaf
By parity the who deals in tobacco stems
tney stripped from the fiat extended portion Of
the leaf winch constitute from % 10 SO cent Of
the entire ea dealer in leaf tobacco. ami Ike the
dealer IA the natural leaf and the dealer IN s,rps, must
f"' Yours respectfully.
| GREEN b. RAUM. Commissioner.
| COMMANDER wHITEHEAD'5 ACTION APPROVED.
The United States steamer Iantic, under
command of Commander Whitehead recently attached
a ka tIar. hor
guns al Cape Town. south Africa Oh ner way home. Her
| commanding officer deemed tue vessel uusOund, aud
therefore thought ii would be unsafe To allow the guns to
remain ON board Upon her arrival at Norfolk there
! much comment upon the action OF Commander White
head ana it said Court Of Inquiry would be organ
lied to look into the mater. special Board OF Survey
was orgauzei and the vessel thoroughly examined.
Conn an Ter Whitt a Was also called upon give IA
full statement OF the which Influenced him. AT
ter careful examination OF the report OF the Board OF
Survey and the statement OF C0nnander Wltehead the
Secretary O the Navy has decided that lie had reasoha-
bic grounds for leaving the battery OF the vessel Cape
Town, aud that he IA not ccnsuraole Tor Its action.
LOGGING on THE CHIPPEWA.
! The Attorney General was engaged this after
noon in hearing argument in suit brought in the
name Of the United StItes the United states Circuit
Court for the District OF Wisconsin, against the
Mississippi Logg ng Company and other companies act
ing with IT, TO restrain them floating logs uuglrdod
down the navgabe portion OF the Chippewa Ryer, aud
to abae certain piers ana structures pl~ed III tnat
river The attorneys for the companies are in
favor of the Government Withdrawing tue right to
conduct the suit in the name Of the United
States and the attorneys for the manufacturers
steamboat-owners and others representing business
interests on tie oppose the motion. The logging
companies were represented by Jude Thomas Wilson
eprcsemtatlye Hawey Of Rock Island and F. Wey-
eruauser President the Mssiss ppi Logging Company
The seanboatmen Others were represented by Col
William II. villas, Capt. f. H. Hernan Capt william VIII
SON o. III. Ingram, Representative humphrey OF lhe
sey, NH District Of WlrcOn>in, and Representative
Pound Of the Eighth Dsrict of tina state Inc afSu-
meuts will ne continued Until tomorrow.
THE Duty ON sTEELWIRE RODS.
The Treasury Department Is investigating
be au on o. the proper Of duty steel wire rods
m coils In 1872 this article decided to be liable to
uty AS steel not otherwise provided for at the rate OF
thirty per cent ad yalorem, upon the ground
tnat the articles then submitted were not the
ate l-wire rods mentioned in the law upon which
a specifc duty was imposed according TO value, and
AN additional al valorem duty when valued
above cents per pound Tne duty on steel wire rods
in coils is nearly double the ad valorem duty OF 80 per
cent hence the question of great Importance TO
those IN the United states VINO the imported article
a. well s 10 American manufacturers. In the meantime,
heore the decision persons who are Interested III the
matter can be heard While the views OF Importers man
and others subject are not solicited ny
the Department. yet III TcCe|0u III uiho' '"'s "'' 'N
proper consideration.