The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-12-04

""0 ICsutteu III victory LOT hOSS, Wn
won by three lengths.
Weather Probabilities
WASHINGTON. lDec, 4.-Indications fo
the upper Mississippi and lower Missour
valleys: Falling followed by rising baro
meter, rising followed by falling .tempera
ture, partly cloudy weather rain or snoy
southerly winds In former. aud northerl,
winds in the latter district.
Report of Commissioner OF Internal
Revenue.
WASHINGTON, Dec, 3.-The annual re.
port of Gen. Green B. Raum, Comnis.
aioaer of Internal Revenue, for the fisca
year was completed to day. After callins
attention to the vast improvement in the
condition of the service. the report shows
that the receipts of internal revenue for
the fiscal year 1879 were $113,449 62I, an
increase of $2.795 ASS upon the pre- rsvious
year. The receipts for the fiscal year
1880, in the face Of the reduction OF the
tax on tobacco, were 1923, 9sl, GIG, an in
crease $l0.532, 294. The receipts of the
first four months of the present fiscal
year amounted to $4S. 789, 3lS, showing an
increase over the corresponding period last
year of$3, ,65S ,2l3. In this connection the
Congress will be disposed to relieve the
people from some of the internal revenue
taxes. If such reduction is to be made,
L respectfully suggest the following list of
taxes collected during the fiscal year 1880
for the consideration of the law making
power: Bank checks, S2.270.42I friction
matches, $3,56l 300; patent medicines, or
preparations of perfumery, cosmetics, etc i,
$l,836.573; bank deposits, $6, SAT sos;
savings bank deposits, $l63, ,207; bank
capital. $Sl1,43 total $l0.990.-
COG. In the event that it is
deemed advisable to take the tax off
matches, patent medicines, perfumeries,
etc, due consideration should be had to
the fact that large stocks OF these articles,
the tax paid, are now in the hands of the
trade and that q very serious reduction in
their value. especially of matches, would
result If the tax were taken off suddenly
and articles manufactured free of tax were
brought into competition with those upon
which existing taxes had been paid. In
my opinion an act abolishing these taxea
should not 60 into effect earlier than say
three months from its passage. The sam e
may be said in regard to check stamps
Considerable stocks of checked stamps are
now in the hands of individuals, banks and
QpOu slduRo USCu
imprinted thiuk it would be wise that
the operation of the repeal should be de-
layed at least three months. so as 20 give
time for the use of these stamps. WheB~
ever the interest of the government will
allow it, | think it will be wise to confne
internal revenue taxation to spirits, malt
liquors, tobacco, snuff, cigars and special
taxes upon manufacturers and dealers in
these articles. an of the opinion that
relience can be placed upon receiv-
ing the sum of $120, 900, 900 annual
ly from those sources. In consider
ing the question of relieving patent medi-
cines from internal revenue taxes it should
be understood that q large number Of
articles put on the market aud taxed as
medicinal bitters are used as beverage.
Persons engaged in the sale Of such arti-
cles are not required to pay special taxes
as retail dealers in liquors, 50 that If the
articles were relieved from taxation
medicinal btters would be sold every
where without any internal revenue tax
whatever, In my opinion it would be
wise to continue the stamp tax upon all
medicated bitters containing more than
twenty per cent OF proof spirits. ln refer
enee to the tax upon savings banks, L
would say that 10 my judgment these
taxes should be removed. or the whole
LEGISLATION upon the subject OF taxipg
savings banks should be modified aud
made more equitable. and there would
seem to be no ground for continuing the
tax upon capital and deposits OF banks
and bankers. il it is found that re venues
are sufficient without it.
Regarding the encouragem ent OF
legal distiIleries. The report says: In
every county where legal disti!eries
have been established iu any number
illicit distillng has almost entirely
ceased Persistent resistance 10 the Law
mas become almost unknown and there
has been a large increase OF revenue. Inc
granting of Increased appropriations asking
for collecting taxes from these distlllerles
is snecially urged Additional legislation
fnr the protection of the lives and persons
~ cficers of the United States from tbs
unlawful assaults Of th ose w0J resist their
authority is also recommended. Zen
Ranm advocates the pas as ot House
hull 6 AGO. entitled "A Bill TO regulate
fhe manufacture Of vinegar by ne"
nrocess." THE vsporisiDE prooes~l n2'
pending iD Congress.
The total cast of collecting interGaI
revenus .or the hscai year was S4,30o Or
being 3. .63 per cent Of the total amou"'
| collected. The estimates tor the eXpeuse'
for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1852, at
a 895. $50 9llO02. 6i4 stamps were lssu
ed. the values were $l34 9l2, $50,
| The Commissioner quotes u letter re
se;ved by him from the Secretary OF tn
Treasury June %. the OBJECT Of whiei
was to divest him lthe Commissioner
IF the authority of employing person
~ be paid from the stamp roll. a.
s,,horitv which had Ibeen exercised .
him for three years, and says; Under y u
changed system pers"u7 VINO we.
raoarded by the Commissioner as compe
tent and experienced IN their ~ofk an
~ere satisfactory to him, haye oeen IL
moved and others without experience ao
finknogu to the Com nmisslsner nave oee
substituted With the utmost respect .
the Honorable Secretary. VIII say lha'
NV oriuion this uotion is erroneous, !
principle and in law, and 10 my luogeuel
, should be revoked. By a circular isSoe
by Secretary Sherman, July 81, last' ~
appointment of storekeepers. gaugefs 4u
tobacco inspectors was also tfausi d.,
fron the Commissioner OF lnternal hes =
nue. to the Secretary OF the treasury -
ter eriticising the action to some sAe. .
Gen. Raum says: | have not qnssee1ons
and do not question the right OF the 0se,'
tary to obtain information from suo
= sources as he may deem proper on "iilo