Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-12-10

fiscal year waS completed to-day. Alter
calling attention to the vast improve
ment in the condition of the service
the report shows the receipts Of inter
nal revenue for the fiscal year Of 1879
were SIS, 40 Cpl, an increase of $2,190,-
as upon the previous year. The re-
ceipts for the fiscal year of 1850, i'll face
of reduction OF tax on tobacco, We're
$l.3, 9Sl ,al6, m increase Of Sl0N'2,-
294 The receipts for the first
four months of the present fiscal wear
amounted to $tS.7S93lS, showing an
increase over the corresponding period
~ last Scar 81 S3,G5S, 2l3. In this con
nection the commissioner SAYS, II
know OF no reason why this increase
should not he maintained during the
fiscal year, 81 that the total collections
for the Year from internal revenue taxes
lit the pres ent ratio would Sl2a,oOA,uN.
Continuing, he SAYS that this large in
crease of revenue is uuQueStiona ably
due to the prosperous times, and there
would seem to be no reasonable proha-
hilitv of material diminution thereof
orseycral years 10 come but on the con
trarN a probability Of gradual increase
certainly upon the ratio equal to the
increase OF the population. While
receipts from taxes are thus increasing
in amount, demands upon the treasury
art being lcSSened by the reduction OF
the public debt, and the annual inter-
est charge II is probable, therefore,
that congress will be disposed To relieve
tie people from some Of the internal
rcvCal,t tuNr>. and il such reduction is
70 u made, respectfully suggest the
tolle&lNG lit of taxes, collected during
the .iSy,tl year lSSa, for consideration
az the law making power Bank checks,
$50, III: friction matches, S,06l 800;
patent medicines 81 preparations,
lcrfamcry. cosmetics, Get, $l,S36,-
613; bank deposits, ssh ,56S:
savings bank deposits, Sl63 2Q1
bunk capital SSH, l@6; total $1O,990,-
6o6 III the event il is deemed adviSa-
hh e take the tax ntl matches, patent
me lieincS, Ctc., due consideration
should tc had to the fact that large
stocks of these articles with the tax al
ready paid are NOW in the hands of the
lrtds. tM that i Very serious rrduc-
'or Il tn"irya'ue.rsur Il,,p III matches
waaa result ii tGe tax Were talked on
suddenly. and articles manufactured
,'iec of tax were brought into compete
'i0n With those upon which the exist
ing taNrs had been paid. la my opin.
ion an act ahohshiug these taxes
should not go into effect earlier
thlu after three months from its pas
lN,, II ~
To check stamps. \ large stock Of
stamped checks i now in the hands Of
individuals, banks ana bankers, upon
which stamps have been imprinted. /
think ii would he wise that operations
Of repeal should lc delayed at least
three months so rs to give time for the
use Of these stamps, whenever tive M
tcrests Of the government will allow it.
| think it will be wise to confnc the
internal revenue taxation To spirits
malt liquors tobacco, snuff and
cigars, and special taxes upon
manufacturers and dealers in
these articles. am Of the opinion
that reliance can be placed upon re-
cciving the sum of l2O million am
nuallv from these sources which
sum would gradually increase with the
increase Of population, but which
would probably be subjected to dlminu-
ton upon recurrence of hard times.
In considering the question Of rclicv-
ing patent medicines from internal
revenue tax it should be understood
that large number Of articles put on
the market rs medicinal bitters are used
MS beverage by persons engaged in
the sale of such articles and are not re-
quired to pay special taxes as retail
dealers in liquors; so that if these ar
ticles were relieved from taxation me
dicinal btters would be sold every
where without paying any internal
revenue tax whatever. In passing
upon the right of these various medi-
Gated bittcrs TO he taxed rs such and
sold without the payment of special
tax as retail liquor dealers the officers
are often seriously embarrassed to find
the exact line between medicinal bttcrs
liable to II stamp tax, and compound
| liquors, subject to be sold only as n
beverage. In my opinion it would be
wise to continue the stamp tax upon
all medicated bitters, containing more
than 20 per cent. of proof spirits. In
reference to the tax upon savings banks
| would say, thatin my judgment, these
taxes should be removed, or the whole
legislation upon the subject of taxing
savings banks should be modified and
made more equitable, and there
would seem to be no Just
ground for continuing tax upon
capital and deposits Of banks,
and bankers if it is found that the rcve-
nues are sufficient without it.
During the last four years
and -four months, 4061 illicit
distillcres have been seized and
1889 persons arrested for illicit
distilling Twenty-six officers and EN-
ployes have been killed and 81 wounded
in the enforcement oft the internal reve-
nue. laws During the past sixteen
months 1,120 stills have been seized
and ,26j persons arrested, and 10 off
Gers wounded in the enforcement Of
the laws, while the number of stills
seized and persons arrested since
my last annual report Is
very large. | am satisfied that there