The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-26
INTERNAL REVENUE.
AbstraOtSf Commissioner Raum's Report
A Coed Showing Tor the Department
Reformi RseORnInded,

WAsHIXGTos, November 25.-The aunu
al report Of the Commissioner Of Interna
Revenue, which has just been completed
predicts that the receipts from lnterna
Revenue taxes will, during the presen
fiscal year, resch the sum Of sll5.OOO, ,OOC
During the last three years 3,ll7 illlci
dtstilleries have been seized. In order I,
to provide an ample force 10 suppress il
liCit distilllng General Raum recommend
the appropriation Of 100000 as deticien
cy to be used during the present fiscal year
During the year ended June 30, 1870
ll3.449,62l of Internal Revenue take,
were collected and paid into the Treasury
'rhe receipts from distilled spirits for the
year 1879, as compared with 1875, show at
increase Of s., l4O, 48S. The increased pro,
ductton Of spirits during the fisc4 year Of
1879 was Is, ,7S0, ,j8S gallons. The increase
Of the production OF manufactured tobacco
the lost fiscal year was l2,096,S S2I pounds.
The number OF cigars aud cigarettes was
l9i, ,l7,7l9. The report is very voluminons
and contains large number ol tabulated
statements.
During the past three years 6,S6S per.
sons have been arrested for illict distilIinR
and 27 officers and employees killed and IS
wounded whilU engaged in enforcing the
internal revenue laws. In this connec.
ton the Commissioner says: at is clear
TO my mind that N some portions Of the
country 10. considerable time to come
reliance cannot be placed upon the State
Courts for furnishing citizens who contlis
murder or assault TO murder upon our
officers while engaged in the performance
cl their duties. 1t seems to me OF the ut.
most Importance that the United States
should under its own laws and through its
own courts undertake the trial and pun.
ishment OF persons who are guilty OF mur.
der aud assault TO murder OF officers while
engaged in or on account OF the perform.
ance OF their official duties, and | have
the honor OF renewing the recommenda.
ton made in my last report OF the passage
OF such law by Congress"
The increase IN the number Of legal dis.
tileries, he Gays, will materially augment
the expense iOr storekeepers aud will
make it necessary that deficiency appro.
priatiOn be made for the present fscal
year OF 100000. 1t is recommended that
where spirits are Withdrawn in good
faith for expectation, and due diligence is
exercised in their transportation, and
cases occur By evaporation or accident,
that no tax shall be levied Tor any such
loss, and that provision OF Law be made for
the expectation OF alcohol in metallic cans
OF ten gallons and upwards. A compari.
son OF the receipts from the several sources
OF revenue for the first four months OF the
current fiscal year, as compared with tho
period in 1878, shows an in.
crease Of 81, ,l7S,559.
The Commissioner recommends an
toSeCtiou 2,224i OF the Revised
which will provide for an allow
ance Of 4 drawback on worms OF stills
when exported.
During four months OF the preseut fis-
cal year the decrease in the receipts from
tobacco and snuff as compared with the
corresponding time last year, was s., 1885,
500. These figures indicate reduction for
the year in the receipts from this source of
over s., 100000. The increasing prosperi.
y otthe couatry which has givenso favora-
bIe an impulse TO all business has largely
benefited the tobacco trade, and the re-
ceipts have in consequence not suffered
80 heavily as was expected. Experience
has shown that no material advantage,
has been secured to the consumers ia a
reduction of price by reason OF reduc.
ton OF tax.
Statements showing the increase and de-
crease otthe revenue from each particular
source G! the tobacco tax for the last fiscal
year, as compared with the same source
for the preceding year, are given, showing
that the loss in revenue from mauufac.
tured tobacco, including snuff, resulting
from the causes above stated, were made
up by the increased collections from
cigars, which is fouud to be nearly Z Der
cent. Tho total cost OF collecting revenue
for the year was $4,000, $50, being 8 7.l0
per cent on The amount collected.
The Commissioner regards the svstem
which requires diatriCt attorneys and
marshsls TO rely upon ices for their com.
pensation, as vicious one, and tending to
demoralize the service, and thinks that II
their salaries were fixed by Law the service
would be greatly improved. .&The total
amount expended through collectors of
internal revenue for information leading
TO the discovery OF frauds and punish.
ment otguiIty persons was sos, 500. Dur.
Ing the year thirty.dve revenue agents
have been employed, and their total ex.
penses have been $l26,0O0.
During the fiscal year and>trom June 30
to November /, 1879, 1919 illicit stills
were seized, ., 9,924 persons arrested, aud in
the performance OF these duties ffty off.
GERS and guides we're killed and twenty.
three wounded. DuriRg this period fifty
six officers aud employees were proceeded
against in State courts. The total number
OF such prosecutions in the past thres
years hiss been 1876. The Commissioner
says: Il am OF opinion that very nearly IL
not quite all OF these prosecutions are
without probable cause aud are instituted
as means Of obstrICting the enforcement
OF the laws, and these facts afford addi.
tional evidence ofthe difficulty in the way
OF collecting Internal Hevenue.
The total amount realized by the tax on
the capital and deposits Of banks and
bankers during the fiscal year ended June
80 was S., 400, ,9lS, aud for the fiscal year of
70, s., ,lS+,0T9, decrease OF SS0j, ,O84.
The expenses for the next fiscal wear
are estimated at s., 1926, 900, being an in.
crease OF Sl92,000 over last yeSr. For the
OF officers, clerks aud EMPLOYEES
Of the bureau proper, agGregating l93 per.
sons, an appropriation Of S25S, $50 is rec.
commended, the same as last year, The
commissioner adding that 1t will be wholly
impTacticableto to reduce the force in any
particular without natural injury to the
public service. A full statement Ia given
Of the estimated expenses OF each district.
In addition to the bureau proper, there
are connected with various Districts
throughout the U. s., 1875 collectors, $50
deputy collectors, l79 clerks, messengers
and j4nitorS, sos gaugers, 1908 storekeep-
ers and 81 tobacco inspectors. Accom-
panying the reports are tabulated state
ments, showing the number of grain as.
tilleries Of different capacities and the
quantities Of grain, and the quantity in
each distillery, the returns ot distilled
spirits under each act oil the Legislature