The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-20
The Internal iicycnnc Raport.

The report of G. b. Raum. commissioner
of internal revenue, states that the internal
revenue receipts, since 1879, have increased
year hy year SlO,001,0)0 to $l2O00.O0O. In
1879 the receipts were &l19,00O,OOO, in 1881
they were Sljj, ,220,0)0 aud in the fiscal year
last ended they were $l4G, 10000. The
receipts for the current fiscal year will prob
ably fall below last years total, but are
likely to reach $lfj,00D030, If the present
taxes are retained, The commissioner calls
attention to the maxim that no more revenue
should be raised than is needed to support
the government economically, and TO grAdu-
ally reduce its debt, and also TO the fact that
ut the present rate of paying the debt all
bonds subject TO call will be paid within three
years, after which, in order to dispose of its
surplus revenue, the government will have to
buy four and one-half and four per cent
bonds in the open mar 'ket. which would prob
ably advance their price twenty five to thirty
per cent, to pay which would he Il waste of
the peoples money. The debt should be
eXtlngulshed only at rate to meet the re-
quireneuts of the sinking fund, viz, about
S65,OOO,UOO per aunum. AIeduction OF $780,
O00,O0Ato $1O,00O,OO0 in our annual revenues
is urgently called for. lie offers the follow
ing suggestions:
SIN nremitdng taxation the relief should fall
as FAR as possible upon necesaaries of life.
I The great bulk of internal taxation Is do
rived from liquors and tobacco. These are
articles of luxury. and the dealers therein
are proper subjects for taxation. Public
opinion seems to be strongly in favor of the
retention of these taxes. The other objects
of internal taxation, with the amounts re-
allied in the past year, are; Friction matches,
$32I2,25s patent medicines, etc, $l,91S,-
395.56 bank checks, S2,3lS, ,4551i: bank de-
posits, S4,007, ,i0l.93: savings bank deposits,
| $sS,4OO4f; bank capital. Sll3S,3lO.S1; saw
ings bank capital, S14,729.3S total, $l2,-
! 1oo,521.40. Add 10 this the taxes collected by
I 4l,,t .E Il.
tional banks, and there il total derived
from these sources of $l8,74S,2 ,22377. These
taxes should be repealed. The tax on savings
bank deposits is a tax on thrift. The tax on
patent medicines, ETC., is yeXatious, being
levied upon innumerable articles. The taxes
on bank capital deposits and checks are not
needed for revenue. The repeal of these taxes
would greatly simplify the internal revenue
system"
Mr.. Raum advises reduction of forty per
cent. in the special taxes paid by dealers {;
also reduction of 81 per thousand on
cigars. All the repealed taxes and reductions
recommended above, if carried into effect,
would reduce the internal revenue taxes $685.
502 l28. He thinks il desirable to consider
the practicability of taking the duty off
sugar, which now yields revenue of $45,-
OOO.OO0 per annum.
Frauds in the manufacture and sale of
whisky and tobacco have become the excep-
ton rather than the rule and taxes are col
lected with but little litigation. The grant
ing OF pensions to persons disabled while en-
forcing the revenue laws, or to their families
If killed, Is recommended. Thirty-one
officers have been killed and sixty-four
wounded in the illicit whisky troubles
During the year 800 stills were seized, 1,471
persons arrested and four killed.
The estimated expenses for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1884, are; Collectors,
81 100000 revenue agents, .gaugers, etc,
$4,000, 900: dies stamps, ETC., S5OO,OO0 detec-
ton of fraud, $4,000; salaries in Office of
commissioner S239, ,l90. Total, 1924, 100.