Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-04
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. Annual Reports. Review of the Internal Revenue
 Service.
 Taxation on Banking Interests. A Recommendation for It's
 Removal. THE LIFE SAVING SERVICE. Our System i'm Advance of
 All Others.
THE LIFE SAVING SERVICE.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

message will be sent by mall tonight to the l farther points in the West and all other I points by the early mail tomorrow. It is l addressed to postmasters with the names of papers noted on the outside of the envelope. Postmasters are instructed not to open the
 envelope and to deliver it only on receipt of a | release message signed w. K. Rogers, to be sent them on Monday, when the message is delivered to Congress.
 The report of Secretary Sherman has been sent to the Assistant United States Treasurer at points where there are such officials, and to collectors of customs where there are no assistant treasurers and to collectors of inter- nal revenue where there are none of the first two mentioned, and to postmasters where there are none of the three first named. The report will be delivered promptly at noon on Monday
 The Commissioner of Internal Revenue to- day submitted his annual report to the Sec retary of the Treasury. The Commissioner says 'I am glad tosbe able to bring to your attention the fact that since my last annual report still further improvement has been made in the condition of the internal revenue service The efforts of the past four years for the suppression of the illicit manufacture and sale of spirits and tobacco have been substantially crowned with success The frauds upon the revenue and resistance to thority still existing are confined to few To- calities, and I am of the opinion that the hearty cooperation of all officers will before the close of the present admins tration have established the authority of the government for the collection of the taxes and the equal enforcement of it's laws in all parts of the country. The discipline, ef-
 iciency and fidelity to duty of the officers of internal revenue have steadily improved, the manner in which they have enforced the laws has promoted the relations of harmony which should subsist between the taxpayer and the government, and I take pleasure in noting the fact of an almost universal dispo- sition on the part of taxpayers to observe the laws and see them fully executed
 Reduction of taxes-The receipts of inter nal revenue for the fiscal year 1877 were SIS, ,449, ,621. .38, showing an increase of $2,
 795, 45S.O O1 upon the previous year. The re- ceipts for the fiscal year, 1880, in the face of the reduction of tax on tobacco were $123,- 981, ,916. 10, showing an increase of $T0, 532, 294. .72. The receipts for the first four months of the present fiscal year amount to $43, 7S9, SIS. 30, showing an increase over the corresponding period of last year of s. ,65S,- 213.49. know of no reason why this ln- crease should not be maintained during the fiscal year so that the total collec- tions for the year from internal revenue taxes at the present rates would be $135, ,O00,- GOO. This large increase of revenue is un- occasionally due to the prosperous times, and there would seem to be no reasonable probability of a material diminution thereof for several years to come; but on the con- trary probability of a gradual increase, certainly upon rates equal to the increase of population. While the receipts from taxes are thus increasing the demand upon the Treasury are being lessened by the reduction of the public debt and the annual interest oharge4 It is probable, therefore, that Con- gress will be disposed to relieve the people from some of the internal revenue tax. I think it will be wise to confne internal reve- nue tax to spirits malt liquors, tobacco, cigars, and special taxes upon the manufac- turers and dealers in these articles.
 In reference to the tax upon savings banks l I would say that in my judgment these taxes 1 should be removed, or the whole legislation l on the subject of taxing savings banks l should be modified and made more equitable. And there would seem to be just l ground for discontinuing the tax upon the | capital and deposits of banks and bankers if l it is found that the revenues are sufficient 1 without it. The assessments on circulating l notes of corporations and in dividends under l sections 3,412 and 5, 413 of the United States l
 
 the act of February 8, 1875, amounted I during the year ending June 30, 1880, to l $461, ,597. .82, increase of $452, 355. 20 | over those made during the pre- | ceding year. The chief motives for | issuing notes upon which these assessments | were made was unquestionably to supple l ment an insufficient capital or to bolster up | the waning credit of firms or corporations l making the issues The large increase in the | assessments clearly indicates the disposition | of individuals and corporations to flood the l country with an insecure "shlnplaster" cir | culation. The existing laws of the United | States seem to constitute only a breakwater | for the protection of the people against an | inundation of every imaginable character of l individual or corporate circulating notes de- 1 signed to take the place of money. In my | judgment these laws should be maintained | upon the statute books.
 Resistance to the enforcement of the in- l ternal revenue laws is referred to at length, i and statistics for the last four years upon the l subject given.
 There is @ long tabular statement of the l amounts collected and accounted for by col l lection districts. The total cost of collect | ing internal revenue for the year end l ing June 30, 1880, was $4, 505, ,S42.O l The estimated expenses for the next | fiscal year are 1895, 030 The to- l tai amount of collections from tobac- l co for the fiscal year ending June 30,
 
 cludes the collection of internal revenue tax es imposed upon imported manufactured tobacco, snuff and cigars, and the special taxes paid by manufacturers of and dealers in leaf and manufactured tobacco. Referring to the apparent over products of spirits the report calls attention to the fact that on the first of July, 1879, there were on hand 19,- PIP, ,0O0 gallons of spirits, the product for 1879 having been greater than for any previ- ous year, the causes of which are given at length.
 Work of the Life Saving Servf
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-The annual report of the general superintendent of the life sav- ing service has been submitted to the Treas ury department. The report shows that the establishment embraced at the close of the fiscal year 179 stations, of which 139 were on the Atlantic, 34 on the lakes and 6 on the Pacific The record of the service surpasses that of any yet made. The highest former number of disasters was that of the previous