The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1878-03-06
THE TAX.

NVW ioIh Liar writes that PAPER H. fol-
4 lows: A'
Icorriered wm. NJ. Rohbins.6 III North
Carolina, a member of tile Ways and
/ Means COMMITTEES, to-,iay. and knowing
4 That he had theirue inwarJness. .of.theln
baceo business, proceede.l 10 Interview
him. He was very pleasant and polite,
aud coiirteously allowed me 10 ply him
with questions, and as cordially responded.
Mr. kobbins WAS the first To introduce II
bill proposing are,lnction of tile tobaeco
lax; but rs lac did mot couple with the re-
ductiun provision n draw back CLAUSE, his
bill WAS not generally received BY the
great body Of manufacturers and dealers,
independent of u few monopolists. He
fully sets forth Ia einterview his reasons
iUr mol wishing 10 Incorporate the draws
lack provision In bis bill. which now
seem more pia,ls!hle than they did s0Ine
weeks ago. 1 subjoin the interview ! had
with Nj. R0bbins Substantially rs il TIC.
Cured. Upon Introducing myself. lie
kindly remarked that i,e Was very glad to
see me. 1 al once began the pumping pro.
cvss @34b s1Ep..@* @~ ..H ar. 4. - .v@s
g'You are member uflhe Ways and
Nleans Committee 2 ..s at4 s..t.. .-s. ..
Yes. sir = ....~......f..s,....
And | understand you are la favor Of u
reduction of the tobacco TAX
4 ani, sir; have hill pending before
thai committee providing fuc reductions
10 I2eenls u pound *a' "' .5%' +a
.ishouid be-very much pleased to have
yo,i give me your reason tor asking this
reduction .,a s~tasa ,E fraa<
f,Acouciusiye prooflhat the lobacco tax
Is TOO higl. lies ~ one single statement.
When the tax was raised To q cents II was
increased 0ue-tiflIi; but ihe aggregate rev
enue received at ~ cen ) was about one
nineteenth mUre than il was when the tax
WIS ~ cehts. You ser, therefore, that by
increasing the tax one-iifIh sou only In.
crease ihv revenue one.nineteenllI. This
shows that when we have gone beyond
the proper maximum of the iobacco tax,
we have gone i0 pni,it where you ops
press the industry more than you benefit
the revenue. Therefore reduction is
nihnifestly proper, aud the only question!
H.. how much thai retluc:iun should be.' !
What is your own Judgment OH this
poiniT .s4.d .r. .s+g-. .+,5 sgr --s.-s-f
My bills callfor areduclion Of one-llalf,
that Is. to IL cents a pound. But II We
camiIat get this, I shall have to agree 60
whatever reduction they viii give Us. II
We callnot get what we wan. OF c,'urse We
will have to ,ut up with the next l,es.
thing. the sub.c,nmittee h going 10 re.
port 10 cents, and I think the Ways aud
Meats COMMITTEES will endorse the report
and make IL To the House. 9s .4aaaa8 80
What other reasons have you for desir.
ing the reduction p @f#s8 }&4Ff aaal#% !
Another reason why Think the tobacco
tax should be reduced is this Bya re-
durtiou you increase tie nun,her of fac.
tories; and the more factories, the greater
the hrneiit to the masses Interested:
whereas, ~ Il IL tuw, y"u fiad that tile
trade il Ia :he hands d. y few. TIE tax
now j. in the interest of moilopoiivs. Iit
cannot Ic the Iurppse of the Government
20 legislaie IN favor. of nionopolips, out
rather IN favor Oi the greatest number of
pvop.e. Another reason la favor Ufre.
duction Is this The tax comes partly
from The producer, partly from the manu-.
fartureraud partly fren the CONSUMER.
By high tax you diminish the quantity
Df Ioiacco produced, anil The profits To tile
prodaeer j. lowerd. Leaf tobacco 10 the
I0baccp regiOn IL reduced ton figure that
lups INT pay for the cnst Of handling,
much less the c,~t of raising u; aud un.
lees the tax is reduced. the production Of
eaf will, ~ = gobI many places, cease for
regular manufacture aud consumption.
BY the breaklne down Of tile production
" tubaccu, the revenue Is diminished.
l'lie ienanuiacIurrs being injured by the
Ugh prices which they have topay for /,
Ubarco, caused by this excessive TAXA.
lou, are compelled to suspend. A great
many consumers Iall back upon tie com.
non twisted leaf Cor their use--twIstedby
laud--and Of course l,ay no reyrnpe. Iii
hal way the raIge Of consumption Is
,reatly dinlinislIel, which causes great
,'ss ioall who pursue tue regular trade,
whether they he producers. manufacturers
Y traders. A great many poor l,enple
'rs using toJacUo raise.i aud prepared lii
his way-not regularly manufactured
ndnot tax.paying' Yet tlIos. penple
would prelei 10 chew The plug tnbacco il
hey could gslitat anything like rpa.
ohAble figure ~ ihsss bard times.
wing I" lie srarrity of money, thry nre
lot able % buy even Tie Chralerl nlanu.
acinir,l lnl,accn Allthesc evils would lie
realty rrn,s'lied bys dlmlnulion oftl,e
Ak aud the c,nrqueut lpwerlug oI il,e
dice u manufactured ,olmcco. ThsIe urv
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