The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-12-15
Internal Revenue Report.
The report of G.. B. Raun, Commissioner
of Internal Revenue, begins with the topic OF

of Internal Revenue, begins with the topic OF
reducing taxation, as follows:
Receipts of internal-revenue taxation have
increas d from Slla,0Ol0o0 in the fiscal year
1872 to Sl21OO0.009 in 1850, $!35, 900 in 1881.
and to S1i6,500,C0 On round figuree) in the
iiscal year last ended. There viii probably be
some dimunition in the receipts of the
present fisca year as compared with last year,
but 1T is not likely collections of internal rev.
| enue for the current year will fall below
Si45. OGoOOO should the taxes now imposed be
no more revenue should be raised than is
necessary for the economical administration
of the Government and gradual reduction Of
| the public debt, although taxation may be SO
wisely adjusted as not to operate as a severe
| burden upon the people. When the amount
collected is beyond the nc uai needs of the
slant temptation to extravaganza in ap-
| preparations. Another consideration attend
ing an Overlooking condition of the Put
lie Treasury cannot have failed to attract
your attention. If the present rate of paying
the principal of the public debt be continued,
all bonds subject to call viii be paid within
three years, after which the Government will
be compelled, in order TO dispose Of its surplus
revenue, to buy in the open market AZ per
cent bonds which fall due In 1891, or the 4 per
cent. bonds which fall due In 1907. Should the
Government thus become AN active purchaser
of these bonds before maturity. it seems clear
that they would advance in price TO y or 30
per cent. premium, to pay which would GER
tainly be regarded as waste of the peoples
money. 1t seems to me judicious that the
principal of the public debt should be eXtiu-
guished, as originally contemplated, only It a
rate necessary to meet the requirements of
the sinking fund-viz: to the extent of about
Slj,oO0,OOl per annum. Therefore it becomes
obvious that a reduction of from $1,000, $50 to
SiO.0O00O in the annual revenues of the coun-
try could be safely entered upon, and, in my
judgment, such reduction Is urgently called
for.
The great bulk of intcrnal-revenue taxation
Is derived from distilled spirits, malt liquors,
tobacco and cigars. These are articles of lux
ury, taxes upon which are really paid by con-
sumers. and no one need consume them. 1 am
strongly of opinion that, so long as the prin-
ciple OF deriving part of the revenue of the
lover Governing net from Internal t,xafion is re
proper subjects for taxation. There is no
demand on the part of consumers of these pro-
ducts for a remission of taxes imposed upon
them; there is no public sentiment calling for
their repeal. Other objects ofinternal-revenue
taxation, with amounts realized therefrom
the last fiscal year. are: Friction matches,
S3,2l22S; patent medicines, perfumery, etc,
Sl5: bank checks, s2,sls,i55; bank de-
posts, S4OOI.tOl: savings-bank deposits, $751;
4oO' bank capital, Sl.3S.S0; savings-bank
capital S14,15. Add to these items IxeS col
lectet by the Treasury of the United States
from National banks and there is total de-
rived from these sources OF S1S.I4S,.ss5- IL to
Sls,I5O,UU 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 bi i n Nv pending before the senate. a
st II further dim mutton Of taxation would Re
attained, and supervision over dealers in tax
able articles, which exper cnce has shown to
be necessary in order to fully and fairly COL
lcct the taxes from all alike. would be pre-
served. Reducing all these speci I taxes 40
per cent. remssions under this head would be
as follows: On the basis of last years collec-
tons, S:i,007 .9Oj. The act of March l. 1879 re-
duced the tax on tobacco from 81 cents per
pound to II cents per pound. but did not re-
responding reduction on cigars would be to 81
per LOCO. This, think, should be done, sd
would amount to q reduction of tixeS of ST.
I4.Om. This would make a total reduction of
internaErcvenue taxes Gncluding taxes on Ma
tunal hanks), of S.50S,ES.
Tariff revision is considered by the Com
missioner. He says:
/ venture to suggest whether il is not de-
sirable to consider tn practicability of taking
the duty of sugar. About 2.O0D,00 1000 pounds
of sugar are annually c"n<umed in the United
States, 10 per cent of VIII oh is produced in this
country. Upon i,S)l,0jJ0J0 pounds imported
the Government realizes II revenue of $500,
co.. Should tie duty be removed there would
he not only certain and large reduction of
revenue but the benefits of that reduction
would immediately inure to the people. The
best refined sugar, VIII oh now sells at ten cents
pound retail could be sold at seven cents if
the duty were removed AMI the total reduc-
ton would amount to 30 cents per capita per
nnuum 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
difficulty might be met by giving a bounty. of
say, two and Il half c1nts per pound upon all
home produced sugar. The present law gives
the sugar pltnterS of this country dir city
si,00GC00 or $50 u,GO1 Per annum. My PROPOSE
ton would be to give this amount directly and
let the whole people have the benefit of the
reduction of taxation of say Si5.s0.000 which
would in this way be effected. The principle
of ,Tay'ng bounty for the encouragement
and develOpm mt or American industry was !
adopted in the case of the fisheries rs early us /
1915 and continued for more than fifty years. !
Millions have been paid out during this period |
a.,t,
ported, and We are still giving this industry a |
bonus, allowing them TO wi hdraw salt free of
duty and requiring from them no tonnage |
dues. Thes" reductions. ii made, would |
amount 10 S1s.5U2, I2s. Receipts of internal |
revenue taxation the last two fiscal years |
We're: For 1851. Sls5, - el3; for 1852, s1t6,5s
29: increase. Sl1,2.8.:6l. The receipts the |
first four months of the present fiscal year, |
compared with the corresponding months the |
last fiscal year. show an increase in the |
amount receive from special taxes and a de- |
crease in distilled spir Is; an increase in |
cigars, cheroots, cigarets, snuff of all descrip-
tons, and special tax of dealers in manufac-
tured tobacco, and u decrease in the amount |
received from all other taxes on tobacco and /
tobacco trade; an increase in the amount re-
ceiyed from special taxes on brewers and deal
ers in beer: an increase on bank deposits and
bank C rculatOn: a decrease on taxes of every
other character on banks.
The entire amount collected in the fiscal year
1882 was promptly covered into the Treasury
without loss. During the last six fiscal years
SIiS, S3iO.t has been collected from internal
revenue taxation and pIid into the Treasury
without any loss by defalcltiOn. The expense |
of election the last six years was about ST.
OSl,:O0 or about 3.8 per cent. on the amount
collected. This sum has been disbursed with
ont loss to the Government.
On the 3Nth of June 1882, spirits remaining
in warehouses reached the highest point
namely: Sa,92,6i5 gallons. Since that time
there has been gradual reduction in the
amount remaining in warehouses. and on the
1st of November. 1852 the amount was ~, 6sS-
81 gallons. This large stock mainly consists
of fine grades of whisky, the tax upon which
W u fall due from month 20 molth. The last
wthdr avail must be made the 9Th of
December. ls'5. If the future demand of
this clnss of goods is to be judged of bv with
drawals of similar goods, tax paid, during the
past few years, the stock now on hand is equal
10 six years consumption. To postpone pay
ment of the tax on this stock until its with
drawal is required by the demands of the
tralo. A movement has been set on foot for
its expectation aud reimporiat and storage
in customs bonded warehouses. This is en-
rely practicable under existing laws, and IL
becomes u quest on whether il would not be
better to airorl bv legislation the relief sought
to be ohtaintd by this indirect means Extern
sion OF tn bonded period for reasonable
time need not imprir the sec'Ir;ty Of the Gov
er1nent for IT'S taxes. and would in no manner
tend to reduce the income of the Government
from this source of revenue. which has up to
n per cd resulted from the natural laws OF
trade and the demand for distilled spirits
Rv tn 8 means eNpe-,ses OF transportation
both ways AMI eustom-house charges abro ad
would he saved.
II affords me great pleasure to report the
supremacy of the laws for the collection OF
its internal revenues has been established in
all parts of the cruntry. To maintain this
cani ton of things and prevent a
recurrence o. frauds, 1t W II be necessary to
continue a system of careful policing which
has brought about this result. The recon-
mendaton is renewed for granting pensions
to persons disabled while engaged in enforc-
ing laws, and to widows and orphans of Off
GERS killed in the discharge of their duty.
The total amount of collections from tDbac- |
co for the fiscal year ended June 30. 1852,
was 81, 3I1, 9SS THIS amount includes the col.