The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-10-18
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Speaks

Treasury Department, Oflce o. Internal Rev.
nue. Washington, septe u Der 18th, 1sS3 Cen
eral Green B. Raum, Washington, d. c.:
SIR-Your letter of the 9th ultimo, in
which you request decision by this Office
as to whether certain preparations made
by the St. Louis Wine company Formerly
the Home Bitters company are medicines,
has been received, and together with the
papers which accompany it, has been care
fully considered.
In the view l have of the case you pre-
sent, no action should be taken by this Of
fee in respect to the matter about which a
If the preparations of the st Louis Wine
company are certainly medicines, and are
ip good faith only sold and used as such,
no special tax will be required OF the eller
of them, but IN case they are used as alco-
holic beverages, the seller of them as such
will be made to pay tax as liquor Ii dealer, .h:
preparation is sold and used Is to be deter
mined by the collectors of internal revenue.
AS no collector has found that your clients
preparations have been used as alcoholic
beverages since July LIST, 1888, there is
nothing for me to decide, and certainly no
action of which the St. Louis Wine com
pany can Justly complain; or from which it
can properly appeal to this office.
Your clients have already, heretofore
obtained the decision of this office that
their preparations are medicines. Collector
Sturgeon has so found upon reinvestlga'
ton, and until hear, or until some officer
of the government ascertans that the
preparations are being IN tact sold and used
as alcoholic beverages, nothing further Will
Very respectfully,
[SignedI WALTER EVANS,
Commissioner.
Approved: Charles J, Folger, Sec'y. &c.
Office of Green b. Raum Attorney at Law,
Washington, D. ~, Sept. IA, lSS3.--St, Louis
Wine COMPANY, St Louis, Mo-:
GEHTLEMEN-1 brought YOUR matter be-
| fore Secretary Folger and Commissioner
Evans at a Joint conference on Tuesday
evening last, the second day after the sec
retary's return. The secretary especially
expressed himself averse to any official &C.
ton that would ipjure legitimate business
The subject of the establishment OF busi-
| n ,ss under the old law and former rulings
O the office was fully dwelt upon, and was
recognized by the secretary and commits
sioner as a matter requiring the most IA
vorable consideration of the department.
The question OF use having some time since
| been determined upon as the proper evil
depce to decide the character OF a prepare
| ton, found it impossible to have them re-
| tire from that position.
But in your case they fully recognize the
former classification OF your preparations
| and the recent decision Of Collector Stuf-
geon, and hold that your preparations may
! be sold as medicines without the payment
Of special taxes. After The delivery OF his
letter | again discussed the matter with
the commiss oner, and he stated that he
saw no difficulty in the way of the success
full prosecution of your business. lie
seemed impressed with the genuine cnsrac-
ter of your pre- oaration. have given your
matter my very best efforts, and while
they are not mentioned by name the COM
missioner incluGes them all in his decision.
Your preparations will nov, in my opln-
ion, gain stronger foothold than ever be
before. as they can In good faith be sold as
medicines, and will, under the fuliogs,
crowd out other less valuable preparations,
and will have this advantage: The com
missioner now has confidence In them, aud
/ am satisfied he will not allow any petty
annoyances concerning them.
You should emphasize In your adver-
tisements that your preparations are manu-
factured as medicines, advertised as medi-
cines, and sold as medicines and used as
medicines, and highly endorsed by the
medical profession as valuable medicines.
Respectfully.
Isignedl GREEN b. RAuE.