St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-12-16
Internal Revenue Report.

| OF Internal revenue, DeSlnS WITH tue topic VI
reducing taxation, as follows:
Receipts of internal-revenue taxation have
increased from $113,0O 900 in the fiscal year
1879, to S123 100000 in 1880, $l55,000OO0 in 1884,
and to STAG, 100000 Tin round fgures) in the
fiscal year last ended. There will probably be
some dimunition in the receipts of the
| present fiscal year as compared with last year,
but it is not likely collections of internal rev.
enue for the current year will fall below
/ Sl45 ,00O,U0O should the taxes now imposed be
retained. Its an old and sound maxim that
no more revenue should be raised than is
necessary for the economical administration
i Of the Government and gradual reduction of
| the public debt, although taxation may be SO
4 wisely adjusted as not to operate as severe
burden upon the people. When the amount
collected is beyond the aeu al needs of the
/ Government there is presented a con-
slant temptat on to extravaganza in ap-
preparations. Another consideration attend
ing an overf1owing. condition of the Pub
| your attention. If the present rate Of paying
the principal of the public debt be continued.
| three years, after which the Government will
/ be compelled in order to dispose of its surplus
revenue, to buy in the open market ~ per
cent. bonds which fall due in 1891 or the per
cent. bonds which fall due in 1907. Should the
/ Government thus become an active purchaser
| OF these bonds before maturity. it seems clear
thar they would advance in price to . or ~
| per cent. premium, to pay which would GER
tainly be regarded as a.waste of the peoples
/ money. 1t seems to me judicious that the
4 principal of the public debt should be extin-
guished, as originally contemplated, only at 3
| rate necessary to meet the requirements of
/ the sinking fund-yiz: to the extent of about
$55, O0O,00l per annum. Therefore it becomes
| obvious that a reduction Of from $50 ,0G0 to
/ S10, 900 III the annual revenues OF the coun-
/ try could be safely entered upon, and in my
Judgment, such reduction is urgently called
! for. ,sst5fsz +l.I ..iiIt
! The great bulk of acknowledgements taxation
IS derived from distilled spirits, malt liquors..
tobacco and cigars. These are articles OF lux-
! ury, taxesaupen which are really paid by con-
sumers. and no one need consume them. l am
| strongly of opinion that, SO long as the prin-s
cIple of deriving part of the revenue of the
Governme~t from internal tsxation is re-
tanned, these articles and dealers therein are
| proper subjects for taxation. There is no
demand on the part of consumers of these pro-
ducts for remission of taxes imposed upon
| them; there is no public sentiment calling for
| their repeal. Other objects ofinternal-revenu
| I "a with amounts realized therefrom
| 25S; patent medicines, perfumery, etc,
SIS 395: bank checks, S2,8is,455 bank de-
posts, s40o7,S0i: sayings-bank deposits, $685.
400; bank capital, s., 49, $40; savings-bank
capital S14.T 29. Add to these items taxes col
| lected by the Treasury of the United States
| from National banks and there is a total de-
rived from these sources of S1s,T4S,2 23. If to-
l8,T50,000 reduction thus proposed Congress
should add a reduction in the charges for
special taxes to dealers in articles taxed for
internal revenues substantially as proposed
| in the bill nav pending before the Senate. a
still further dim mutton of taxation would be
attained, and supervision oyer dealers in tax
able articles, which experience has shown to
be necessary in order to fully and fairly col
lect the taxes from all alike, would be pre-
served. Reducing ali these speci l taxes 40
per cent, remissinns under this head would be
as follows: On the basis of last years colec-
tions, S3,O07,9 O5. The act of March l, 1879, re-
duced the tax on tobacco from "a cents per
pound to Il cents per pound. but did not re-
duce the tax on cigars and cigarets. A cor.
responding reduction on cigars would be to 81
per LOCO. This, think, should be done, and
would dnd AMOUNT to q reduction Of taxes Of ST..
74b,00o. This would make a total reduction of
internalrevenue taxes Including taxes on Ma
tional hanks) of SIS, 502, lbs.
Tariff revision is considered by the Com
missioner; He says:
venture to suggest whether it is not de-
sirabe to consider the practicabIlity of taking
the duty off sugar. About ,OOo. O0o, 600 pounds
of sugar are annually consumed in the United
States, 10 per cent of which is produced in this
country. Upon 1880. 100000 pounds imported
the Government realizes revenue of $4,000,
GOO. Should the duty be removed there would
be not only certain and large reduction of
revenue, but the benefits of that reduction
would Immediately inure to the people The
a pound retail could be sold at seven cents if
the duty were removed, and the total reduc-
ton would amount to 80 cents per. capita per
annum of the entire population of the country.
The objection to this measure would be the
abolition of protection now afforded the sugar
interests of Louisiana and other States. This
a-aR<tculIy ulIguL De met by giving II bounty, OF
u two and a half cents per pound upon all
ne produced sugar. The present law gives
"a sugar planters of this country directly
%o9 IS e s9e hsr AMOUNT ny pH9p sea
t'iAthe whole people have the benefit of the
s&Ection Of taxation of say $4,000, 900 which
nfsf Id in this way be effected. The principle
psNlaying q bounty for the encouragement
AMI development OF American industry was
adopted IL the case of the fisheries as early as
1SlSassd continued for more than fifty years,
h1y 6rr1pfr, ftNye ,t<,L
to ricin fishermen for fish caught and ex.
portN and we are still giving this industry
BON Sallowjng them to- wit hdraw saltfree of
duty requiring from them no tonnage
dues 'hese reductions. if made, would
ama to S.5,5U2, l2s. Receipts of internal
rev ta-s,ion the last two fiscal years
kr tSh. $135, :222e9 ,9l3 for 1882, $146523,-
293; IL Tease. s11, .36l The receipts the
first ID months of the present fiscal year,
compEaH with the corresponding months the 4
last K.sE year, show an increase in the
amouE ecevei from special taxes, and de- \
creasS& distilled spirits; an increase in
cigars aercnts, cigarets, snuff of all deserip-
turedk HScco, and . decrease in the amount
receiW9 !! hre.n all other taxes on tobacco and
tobaceaela, :: an increase in the amount re-
ceived, IA rectal taxes on brewers and deal
= ers in 80: q increase on bank deposits and
bank lat IN; a decrease On taxes of every
other sacter on banks
- The g amount collected in the fiscal year
1852 promptly covered into the Treasury
with M rs. During the last six fiscal years
$74s So as been collected from internal
revefAs q 1yation and paid into the Treasury
withot&Slsey loss by defalcation.a The expense
of collesS on the lastsi1 years was about $g7,-
0s7,300. OF sbout 3.B per cent. on the amount
collected. This sum has been disbursed with.
out loss to the Government.
On the Both of June, 1882, spirits remaining
in warehouses reached the highest point
namely: S9962,645 gallons. Since that time
amount remaining in warehouses; and ON the
LIST of November. 1882, the amount was S4.62S-
331 gallons. This large stock mainly consists
of fine grades of whisky. the tax upon which
withdrawal must be made the 9Th of |
December, 1885,. II the future demand Of |
this class Of goods is to be judged Of by with
past few years, 1.-The stock now On hand is equal |
to six years consumption. To postpone pay
ment of the tax on this stock until its with I
n. ;r- Ixr<