Connecticut western news., 1880-12-15
Internal Revenue Report.
LARGE INCREASE IN THE REcEIPTs-A RE-
 PEAL OF SOME TAXES RECOMMENDED.


 The annual report of Gen. Green R. Raum, Commissioner of Internal Reve- nue, shows that the receipts for the fis- cal year 1880, in the face of the redue- tion of the tax on tobacco, were $123,- 9S1, ,916, an increase If $1O, 532, 295 over the previous year. The receipts for the first four months of the present fiscal year amount to s43, 789, ,318, showing an increase over the corresponding period of last year of $3, ,658, ,213. The Com missioner says that he knows of no reason why this increase should not be maintained, making the total collections for the year $135, ,000, 900. This large increase of revenue, he says, is unques- tionably due to the prosperous times. While the receipts from taxes are thus increasing in amount, the demands upon the Treasury are being lessened by the reduction of the public debt and the annual interest charged. It is probable, therefore, that Congress will be disposed to relieve the people from some of the internal revenue taxes, and if such reduction is to be made he suggests the following list of taxes collected during the fiscal year 1880, the repeal act not to go into effect until say three months after its passage j.. Bank checks, S2,27O, ,421 friction matches, $3, ,561 300; patent medicines or prepa- rations, perfumery, cosmetics, &c., $1, s36, ,673. 22 bank deposits, S2,347, 56S.- O7 savings bank deposits, $163, ,207.36 bank capital, S811, 436. 49; total, S10,- 99O, 6O6. B. The Commissioner thinks it will be wise. whenever the interests o1 the Government will allow it, to con. fine internal revenue taxation to spirits, malt liquors, tobacco, snuff, cigars, and special taxes upon the manufacturers and dealers in those articles. He is of the opinion that reli- ance can be placed upon receiving s12O,' COG, 1000 annually from these sources, which would gradually increase witt the increase of population. He thinks it would be wise to continue the stamp tax upon all medicated b1tters contain ing more than twenty per cent. of proo spirits.
 The tax on savings banks, he thinks should be removed or the whole legis lation on the subject should be modified and made more equitable, and he say there seems to be no just ground fo continuing the tax on the capital ant deposits of banks and bankers if it Ii found that the revenues are sufficien without it.
 Regarding the apparent over produc ton of spirits the Commissioner says ''I take the liberty of calling especia attention of distillers and the trade t. the fact that on July 1, 1879, there wer on hand ill distillery warehouses 19, PIP, 900 gallons of spirits, which was an in crease of about 5,000,000 gallons ove the stock on hand at the same period o the previous year, and that on Novem Der 1, 1880, the amount of spirits ol hand was 32,64O,O0 gallons, bein an increase of 13, 400, 900 gallons over tn amount on hand on July 1, 1879. Tn steady increase in the number and ca pacity of distilleries ill ope1 ation sue gests the probability of the continue enlargement of the stock on hand. ] has occurred to me that this bushes was on the eve of being overdone, an that in the event of @ recurrence of tn agitation for reduction of the tax, tn holders of these spirits would be in dar | ger of loss,