Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-05
The INTERNAL REVENUE.
COMMISSIONERS EVANS MAKES
THE ANNUAL REPORT.

Decrease in Receipts of 81 ,9o9, $50
as Compared with Last Year-Two
Years Recommended as the Limit for
Outlawing Revenue Cases-Effects of
the Reduction.
WAsHINGToN, Nov. 1.-The annual re-
port OF Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Walter Evans for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1888, has been submitted to
Secretary of the Treasury Folger. The
commissioner reports the receipts from
all sources of internal revenue dur ing the
year as $l44,553,344, against SAG .528. o33
for the preceding year, and the total cost
of collection as Sj,1l3,334 He says that
on the final adjustment of the accounts of
the service it will be found that the ex-
penses amount to about 81 per cent. of
the sum collected. Statistics of the
details of the service as given
in the report show that S6l.276
were expended through Collectors and
revenue agents for the discovery and
punishment of fraud, and 397 Illicit stills
were seized and 1885 persons arrested.
| employe being killed in the service.
Nine hundred and twenty-seven violations
OF the internal revenue laws have been re-.
ported by revenue agents; 446 persons
have been arrested on information fur
nished by them, and they have reported
Tor seizure and assessment for unpaid
taxes property to the value of $91, ,40I; and
have OrepOrted penalties to the amount
of $249,912. The number of distilleries
operated during the year was 5,129,
and the amount of grain con-
sumed was 1S,644,7S7 bushels,
a quantity 1914, 30S bushels less than that
Il Of a - f,.;4 - n0-
Ions were produced during the year
against lO4, 1907 in the preceding year.
The Commissioner reports an increase in
the production OF manufactured tobacco
and snuff of 9,159, 497 pounds over that of
last year, and an increase of 1856. .234. .977
in the number of cigars, and 9S, 1854. OPT in
the number of cigarettes produced. He
presents figures to show that the reduc-
ton of sales made by the internal
revenue act Of last March will, on
the basis of the last years business.
cause reduction of revenue from
tobacco during the present fiscal year of at
least $25,000,000. He estimates that the
reduction of taxes on proprietary medi-
cines, bank checks, matches, bank de-
poslts and capital and on tobacco will
cause reduction of internal revenue re-
celpts of not less than $43, ZOO, 900 per an
mum. He thinks, however, that the in
creased revenue from distilled spirits for
the current year will so augment the re-
ceIpts this year that they will reach
$l20,O00,O 900. He reports that during the
first three months of the current fiscal
year the receipts from internal revenue
were $29,671, ,17S, which is a adecreaseof ST.
926, 4O1 from the receipts of the correspond
ing period of last year. The collections
from tobacco during the year amounted to
$42, lO4, ,249. The number of Collectors
and districts has been reduced during
the year by consolidation from 12G to SO,
and the annual saving is estimated at
$l25,0O0. He reports the condition of the
service as excellent, except in a few
localities, notably the Fifth and Sixth
districts of North Carolina, where, he
says, some abuses of long standing are
being gradually removed. He recon-
mends that Congress fix the limit of the
time in which the prosecution Of
Otfenses against the revenue laws
may be commenced at much
less period than years, except
in cases where the accused
places himself beyond the jurisdiction OF
the court of the district in which the of
fense is committed. He says that cases
older than years are invariably lost by
the government. He adds that he has
been strongly urged to recommend the
of general amnesty to all
persons who have distilled spirits without
the payment of special tax, and to all
persons who have operated small distil-
leries without registering the same
and complying with the other provisions
of the law. He says that he thinks the
concession made to the manufacturers OF
vinegar by the act of March, 1878, permit
ting them to separate alcoholic property
from fermented mash, wort Or wash and
to use it in the production of vinegar,
should be withdrawn, the privilege being
one which presents to unscrupulous per-
sons constant temptation, together with
sufficient opportunity, to engage in the
the expenses of the service for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1885, at 81, ,999, 1870.