Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-04


to Gov. Lowrsy, and after consultation
with the governor it was resolved to
lock up the rsturns and keep them from
public inspection until the count waa
made.
COMMISSIONER RAUHl's REPORT.
The report of G.. B. Raum, commissions
of internal revenue has been submitted to
the secretary OF tho treasury. It begins
with tho topic of reducing taxation: as
follows: The receipts of internal revenue
| taxation have increased from $4,000 600
in the fiscal year 1879, to 1923, ,OOO,OOO in
1880, $135, 1000, 900 in 1881, and to S146.-
100000 (in round fgures) in the fiscal year
last ended. There will probably be some
dlminution in the receipts the present
fiscal year, as compared with last year:
but it is not likely that collection Of inter
nal revenue for the current year will
fall below $145, 100000 should the taxes
now imposed be retained. It is an old
and sound maxim, that no more revenue
should be raised than is necessary for the
economical administration of the govern
ment, and gradual reduction of the ma
tional debt. Although taxation NAV 50
wisely be adjusted as not to operate as q
severe burden upon the people when the
amount collected is beyond the actual
needs of the government, there is pre-
sented constant temptation to extraya-
sideration attending the existing overflow
ing condition of the public treasury can
not have failed to attract your notice. If
the present rate of paying the principal
of the public debt be continued, all the
bonds subject to call will. be paid
within three years; afterwhich time the gov
ernment will be compelled in order to dis
pose of its surplus revenue to use in open
market 81 per cent. bonds which fall due
in 1891, Or per cent. bonds which fall due
in 1907. Should the government thus be-
come an active purchaser of these bonds
before maturity, it seems clear they would
advance in price to 25 or 80 per cent.
premium, to pay which would certainly be
regarded as waste of the peoples money.
1t seems to me judicious that the prin-
cipal of the public debt should be extin-
guished as originally contemplated only at
a rate necessary to meet the requirements
of sinking funds, viz: To the extent ,of
about $55, 900 900 per annum. Therefore,
it becomes obvious that a reduction of
from $6O,000,O00 to $70,OOO,O 900 in the an
nual revenues of the country could be safely
entered upon, and in my opinion such re-
duction is urgently called for. The great
bulk of internal revenue tax alone is de-
rived from distilled spirits, malt liquors,
tobbaco and cigars. These are
articles of luxury, the taxes
upon which are = really paid
by consumers, and no one need consume
them. am strongly of the opinion that
SO long as tho principle of deriving part of
the revenue of the government from in
ternal taxation is retained, these articles
and dealers therein are proper subjects for
taxation. There is no demand on the part
of consumers of these products for a re-
mission of the taxes imposed upon them.
There is no public sentiment calling for
their repeal. Other objects of internal
revenue taxation, with tine amounts rea-
lized therefio them past fiscal year are:
Friction Matches S3,272, ,753
Patent Medicines. Perfunery.> etc.. 1,978. .395
Bank Checks 2,31S,455
f'd!lh OepoSItS. IA, 4,UUI, ,IOl
Saving Bank Deposits. ...!.a......~ S9, 400
Bank Capital ....... I,138,34O
Saving Bank Capital 14,729
Add to these items the taxes collected
by the treasurer of the United States from
national banks, and there is a total of
SIS, S,748,223. If to the eighteen and three
quarter millions reduction thus proposed,
congress should add a reduction in the
charges for special taxes to dealers in arti-
cles taxed for internal revenue, substan-
TALLY as proposed in the bill now pending
in the senate, still further diminution of
taxation could be attained and the super
vision over dealers in taxablbe articles,
which experience has shown to be
necessary in order to fully and fairly COL
lect the taxes from all alike, will be pre-
served, reducing all these special taxes 40
per cent. The remissiOns under this head
would be as follows, on the basis of last
years collections, $3,OO7,9O The act af
March 1, 1879, reduced the tax on tobacco
from "a cents per pound to 16 cents per
pound, but did not reduce the tax on cigars
and cigarettes. A corresponding reduc-
ton on cigars would be to 81 per thousand.
This, think, should be done, and would
amount to reduction of taxes of S6,746,-
600. This would make total reduction of
internal revenue taxes, (including taxes on
national banks) of $28, 500, ,12S.
Tariff revision is being considered by
commissions. He says: II venture to
suggest whether it is not desirable to con-
slider the practicability of taking the duty
off sugar. About 2,OOO, 100000 pounds Of
sugar are annually consumed in the
United States, 10 per cent. of which is pro-
duced in this country. Upon 1,SOO,O 900
pounds imported, the government realizes
revenue of $45,OOO,OOO. Should this
duty be removed, there would be not only
certain and large reduction of revenue,
but the benefit of that reduction would i'm
mediately innure to the people. The best
refined sugar which now sells for 10 cents
per pound, retail, could be sold at
u cents If the duty were removed
and the total reduction would amount to
ninety cents per capita per annum of the
entire population of the country. Obiec-
tion to this measure would be the abolition
of protection now afforded the sugar in
terests of Louisiana and other states. This
difficulty might be met by giving a bonn
ty, say two and half cents per pound.
upon all home produced sugars. The
present law gives the sugar planters of
this country Indirectly = ,OO0, 600 or $5, ,O0O,-
600 per annum. Ny proposition would
be to give them this amount directly, and
let the whole people have the benefit of the
reduction OF taxation, of say $4,000, ,oOO
which would in this way be effected. The
principle of paying a bounty for the en-
couragement and development of American
industry was adopted in the case of the
fisheries as early as 1913, and continued