National Republican., 1883-03-15
ON THE AVENUE.
Small TaIIr About Men and Me,

ON THE AVENUE.
Small Talk About Men and Measures.
Green b. Raum, commissioner of internal
revenue, William Lawrence, first comptroller
of tho treasury, and ID. s. Alexander, fifth
auditor of the treasury, are hard at work upon
q plan to enable them to handle the business
that will be thrown upon them when the new
revenue law goes into effect. Under its pro-
visions tobacco dealers will be entitled to
rebate of taxes on stocks Of tobacco and cigars
on hand in unbroken packages Of the value
of $40 or upwards on the first of
May. The rebate will be cents
pound on tobacco and SO thousand
on cigars. There are over 100000 dealers in
tobacco and cigars in the United States, and
the lowest estimate puts the number of
claims for rebate of taxes at 100000 although
the number may run up as high as $4,000.
Mr. Raum has said that it will probably take
between $15 100000 and $50, 900 to pay the
claims that will be allowed under the rebate
clau Sc. Blanks will be put in the hands of
collectors of internal revenue in n couple
of weeks for distribution among dealers
in their districts, by the aid of
which they can prepare and file their
Z laims without an attorney. The blank con-
tains the oath tan ironclad affair." and space
for an account of stock, the description be.
ing given by stamps, which represent pack
ages of different sizes. As all the stamps of
larger denominations are registered, the COM
missioner has a check right in his own office
against fraud on q large scale. These ac-
counts Of stock are sworn to by the dealer,
and two reputable citizens attest to the accu-
racy of the same under oath in the presence
of revenue officer or other govern
ment officer where practicable The col
lectors will be instructed to urge upon
dealers the necessity Of filing their claims as
early as possible after the twelfth Of May,
and although they are given sixty days to do
it in, Mr.. Raum expects that q vast ma
.jority will be on file in the department by
the first Of June. These claims are exam
ined upon by the commissioner of internal
revenue, who then passes them on to the
fifth auditor, and he in turn goes through the
papers carefully, and hands them
over to the first comptroller. In order
that the work may be dispatched without
delay, the secretary of the treasury will make
q special detail from other divisions Of about
one hundred and fifty clerks, fifty for each of
the tree bureaus named, who will not be able
to complete their task before the first Of next
December.
1t was thought for time that the law was
so loosely drawn that fraud would be easy,
and the assertion was freely mado that the
government would be swindled out of 3,0O0,-
600 or $4,000,000 by dishonest dealers. 1t is
quite likely there will be some cheating, but
as every fraudulent claim must be signed and
sworn to by three men, and as the swindling
can only be on small packages bearing stamps
Of the least value (unregistered), the stealing
will only be in the nature Of petty larceny.
Men are not going about by threes swearing
to lies for a few paltry dollars. Every con-
ceivable precaution will be taken TO prevent
swindling, and there Is little fear that the
government will lose any very considerable
amount by the filling Of broken packages
with new untaxed cigars and tobacco.
The point has been raised that there is no
provision for the payment Of rebate claims,
and that congress will have to make special
appropriation for the purpose. The question
has been taken under advisement by Judge
Lawrence, who will render decision in few
days. There can be little delay in the matter,
whichever way ho may decide, as the claims
will not be in shape for settlement in any
event before the forty-eighth congress con-
venes.
~
The late readiuster editor Of our morning
contemporary, ex- Congressman Fulkerson, has
returned to his home in Virginia to weep over
his folly. The other night an old friend of
Fulkerson was talking to him about his course
toward the readjuster party and Senator Ma
hone. He said, ABE, you have made mis-
take in acting the way you have" The
moumful ex-member replied, ave all make
mistakes sometimes. This seems to have been
my time"
There is a confusion in the minds Of many
people touching the identity of the Mills who
drew up the charges against Architect Hill.
Several correspondents have confounded the
Mills who did the work with gentleman of
the same name who was formerly a clerk in
Mr.. Hills Office. Hearing that he had been
accused of making war on his old employer,
ex-clerk Mills has written facetious letter
to Mr.. Hill offering to compromise for $780,
900, with the distinct understanding that il
the defendants compromise with Murch, the
other Mills, or anybody else for 100000, more
or less the amount is not TO be deducted from
his half million. Mr.. Hill has forwarded his
ex.olerk a check for $5OO00O, and says that
fifteen or twenty such drafts will seriously
embarrass him, If not entirely absorb the
profits of last years business.
aNa
Speaking of these charges Hr. Hill says
81 do not know much about them beyond
what have seen in tho newspapers. l wish
the parties interested would fire them of and
have done with it,"