Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-02-16

opinion. Was ] not right a few
moments since in saying that the
rich men of the East had captured
the Commissioner of Internal Rev
enue?
The Commissioner says he has
given considerable attention to the
question of lowering the tax on spir-
its and tobacco and is satisfied that
it is to the interest of both manufac-
turers and dealers to let the tax re-
main unchanged. Strange that
those men who are knocking so
earnestly at the door of Congress,
asking for relief from the enormous
tax, should be so blind to their own
interests, the opinion of the Commits
sioner to the contrary nOtwithstand-
ing.
/ know there is some force and
truth in what the Commissioners
says of the effect of the agitation of
the question of change of the rate
of taxation upon the business of the
manufacturer. The manufacturer
knows this as well, perhaps better
| than the Commissioner does, and If
the burdens of which they complain
and the dangers by which they are
| menaced were of a light and trivial
nature, they would remain silent
rather than incur the loss which
may be entailed by an attempt to
| change the tax. But they must get
relief or be ruined, and relief can
only come by agitation of the CUES
ton in and out of Congress.
1t appears in the last report of the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue,
noted and commented on in the me-
mortal of the Tobacco Board of
Trade of Louisville, Kentucky, that
there was collected for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1875, as a spe-
cial tax on dealers in leaf tobacco,
the sum of $l12,962.96, and for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1877, the
sum of $97, 422.49 on the same &C
count. This shows a decrease in the
revenue from this source of SIS, 54O.-
AZ in the collections for the fiscal
wear ending June 80, 1877, below
the receipts for the fiscal year pre-
vious. Each dealer in leaf tobacco
is required to pay a special tax OF
$25 per annum. Divide the amount
of the decrease by the amount of the
special tax and it shows falling off
of six hundred and twenty-One deal
ers in leaf tobacco during the fiscal
year ending in June, 1877.
Again, his report shows that from
the dealers in manufactured tobacco
for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1876, there was collected as special
tax the sum of 81 ,6I6, 3l8.S5; for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1877, the
sum of 81 ,595, 225. 40. Subtract one
from the Otherand it leaves 81 ,093.-
40. Each dealer in manufactured
tobacco is required to pay a special
tax of s. per annum. Divide the
difference between the collections in
said two fiscal years by five, and
there will be found to have been
fOrty-twO hundred and eight less
dealers in manufactured tobacco in
1877 than in 1876.
But what effect has the operation
of the high tax had on the manu-
facturers of tobacco? The following
table, furnished me by the Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue, is here.
with appended:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
/ OFFICE OF INTERNAL REVENUE,
Washington, January IL, 1851
SIR: In compliance with your request o.
the 10th instant, l incloSe herewith state
ment showing the amount of special taxes
| paid by manufacturers of tobacco for the ifs
cal year ended June So 1874, 1879, 1876 and
l0"' i'eSpe GREEN B. RAUM, Com.
Hon. JNo. F. HOUSE,
| House of Representatives, washington, ID. 4