The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-10-11
Tho Commissioner of Internal Revenue
speaks.

Tho Commissioner OF lhtSrnal hoFehuo
Speaks
Treasure Department, ONCE o. Internal Rev
uup, Washington Sept"m bel 18Th, ls83 ten
er.l Green b. Raum, Washington, ID. G..
SIR-Your letter of the 27!h ultimo, In
which you request decision by this ONCE
as to whether certain preparations made
by the st. Louis Wine company Formerly
the Home Bitters company are medicines,
has been received, ana together with the
papers which accompany it, has been care
fully considered.
sent. no action should be taken by this Of
fee in respect TO the matter about which which
II the preparations of the ST. Louis Wine
company are certainly medicines, aud are
in good faith only sold and used as such,
no special tax will be required OF seiler
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 piGm uoI Heai tbc
question of fact as tothe manner in which a
preparatiou 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, 1883, 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 II
can properly appeal TO this ONCE.
Your clients have already, heretofore,
obtained the decision Of this office that
their preparations are medicines. Collector
Sturgeon has so found upon q reinvestiga-
ton, and until hear, or until some omcer
of the government escertains that the
tpreparations are being In fact sold and used
- alcoholic heversges, nothing further viii
he dome
Very respectfully.
rsignedI WALTER EVANS.
Commissioner.
Approved: Charles J, FolRer, sec'y. DC.
once OF Green b. Raum. Atiorney-at Law,
washington, d. o., Sept u, iSS3.--st. Louis
Wine CJmpauv, St Louis, No;
GENrLEMEN-f brought YOUR matter be-
fore Secretary Folger and Commissioner
Evans at a FONT conference on TUESDAY
evening last, the second day after the sec
retary's return. The secretary especially
expressed himself averse 70 any official &C
ton that would iDjure legitimate business.
The subject Of the establishment OF busi-
ness under the old law and former rulings
of the office was fully dwelt upon, and was
recognized by the secretary and commits
sioner as a matter requiring the most IA
vOrab,e consideration Of the department.
The question OF use having some time since
been determined upon as the proper evil
dence 10 decide the character OF a prepare
ton, found It impossible TO have them re-
the from that position.
But in your case they fully recognize the
former classification OF your preparations
/ A nd the recent decision OF Collector btuf-
geon, and hold that your preparations may
i Be sod a. medicines without the payment
| OF special taxes. Amer the delivery OF his
letter again discussed the matter with
the commissioner. and he stated that be
saw no difficulty in the way Of the success
ful prosecution Of your business he
seemed impressed with the genuine chhrnc-
ter OF your preDsrstion. have given your
natter ny very best efforts, and while
they are not mentioned BY name the com
missiopsr incluoes them all In bic decision.
Your preparations will nov, IN my opin-
ion. gain Q stronger footbold than ever be
before. ss they can IN good faith be sold n'
medicines. and viii, under the rulings
crowd ont other les vsluable preparations,
and viii have this sdvsntsre: The com.
nissioner nov has confidence IN them, nno
I am satisfied he viii not allow any petty
eunovsnces concerning Them.
You should emphasis IN your adFer'
tisements that your preparations are mann'
fsctured ns med icines. advertised - meoi-
riups. sd odd e. medicines and Used n,
medicines, and highly eDd0rsed ~ ths
medical profession e. valuable Medicines
Repeatedly,
rzi~ner1 GnrEr B. n1rH.