St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-10
INTERNAL REVENUE.
Report of Commissioner Evans for
the Fiscal Year Ended
June 30, 1884.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 9.-The annual report
Of Hon. Walker Evans, commissioner Of
internal revenue, for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1854, has been submitted to the
secretary Of the treasury. Total receipts
from all sources Of internal revenue taxa
ton for the year, $l21, $50, O39; as compared
with $144, 553, 81 for the year 1888, s146,-
523, 273 for the year 1sS2, and s135, ,229, ,9l2
for the year 1881. 1t is estimated that Sl15,-
100000 viii be collected the present fiscal
year. The payment Of the tax on large
production Of spirits in 1881 was made
factor in the collections during the past year.
The com missioner says the falling of antici-
paIed the present year viii follow from the
diminished quantity of bourbon and rye
whiskeys produced in 1882, on which the tar
will mature during the current fiscal year
Another cause contributing to the reduction
OF receipts will be the largely
increased expectation of spirits in bond,
on which, for various reasons, the owners
cannot pay the tax. something like
10000, 600 gallons have already been forced
abroad during the current calendar year, be-
cause Of stagnation in the trade and the
refusal OF congress to extend the bonded
period. A comparative statement of the
receipts for the fiscal years 1888 and 1854
shows decrease Of SIC, ,O41, $50 from tobacco,
An increase Of s2,536, 6l0 from spirits, an
increase Of 81, ls4. S3s from fermented
liquors and decrease of $40, 642, ,4O3 from
taxes under repealed laws and penalties,
making the total decrease $22, 963, ,305. The
cost Of collection the past year was $5, 1O0,-
451, as compared with $5, los, ,957 In 1888.
This includes SIS, 900 for accounts in
store-keepers aud gaugers for the
last half OF June, 1884, that were
not paid, owing to the appropriation being
exhausted, and for which deficiency an appro-
pristion will be needed. The total expenses
were little less than AZ per cent. Of the
amount collected. The commissioner SAYS
the diminution Of the gross receipts could
not proportionately affect the cost of collec-
ton. as nearly the same force had TO be re-
taiued. During the year 81 stills were
seized and 9O2 persons arrested for engaging
in iliict distilation. The commissioner saws
strong representation were made in vain to
congress, at its last session, against the
policy Of reducing the force OF revenue
agents below the number Of thirty-five, fixed
in the revised statutes. Only twenty can
now be lawfully employed. This leaves too
many avenues for fraud exposed, and the
commissioner says he fears il will result In
much injury as it Is difficult for any one
man efficiently to do the work belonging 10
revenue agents in a territory embracing
sometimes three or more states aud never
less than two. By comparing the receipts
for the last fiscal year with those for the
fiscal year Immediately preceding it, the de-
crease of the revenue from tobacco was
1904, $40, and by comparing those receipts
with the receipts for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1882, decrease was $21, 1928, SIS.
The last comparison more nearly shows the
effect of the reduction Of the tar on tobacco
under the act of March 3, 1888. For the col
lections CT those two fiscal years were made
under the different rates of tax. But this
comparison is not complete, owing to the
fact that the production Of tobacco, snuff and
cigars the last fiscal year shows a
large increase over the pro-
ductiOn for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1888. The decrease in the receipts
compared WHO the fiscal year Of 1882, was
IS, "a s. $50 on chewing and smoking tobacco,
S2S7, ,Sll on snuff, 50, ,526, ,4I0 on cigars and
$475, 500 on cigarettes. There was an in
crease Of forty-one in the number Of grain
distileries registered the last fiscal year, and
a decrease Of eighteen in the number oper-
ated. The encrease in the number regis
tered occurs, as was the case in the preced-
ing fiscal year, in the class of distilleries
having smaller capacities for the production
Of spirits. In the case of larger distilleries
very decided reduction occurs,
both in the number registered and
the number operated. The quantity Of grain
used in the production Of spirits the past fs-
cal year, was Is, 927, ,9s2 bushels, an increase
of 2S3, 1875 bushels above the amount used in
the preceding fiscal year, but 3, 1877, ,s97 bush
els less than the average of the last five years.
A corresponding increase appears in the
number Of gallons OF spirits produced from
grain during the year, 73, S24, ,5S1 gallons, an
excess of l, ,4s9, 400 gallons over 1888. The
quantity Of molasses used for the production
of rum for the fiscal year was 2, ,259, $50 gall
Ions, decrease of 1850 gallons
from the year previous, and a
decrease of 255, 452 gallons from
the average Of the last FIVE years. The guam
tity Of rum distilled from molassess was
/ LII, 158 gallons, a decrease of 90, SOP gal
Ions from 1888, and decrease Of 204, GA
gallons from the last five years. The com
parative statement Of spirits Of different
kinds known to the trade remaining in
warehouse at at the close Of the fiscal years
| 1888 and 1854 shows, while there was an
increase in the stock of alcohol, gin, high
wines, and pure spirits held in bond June
30th, 1854, over the quantity held June 30,
1888, Of 753.252 gallons, there was a
decrease in other grades Of spirits (princi-
pally in bourbon and rye whiskies) Of H.
$50. 694 gallons, or net decrease Of 16,-
997, 442 gallons. OF spirits held in bond
June 30, 1884, nearly two thirds was bour-
bon whisky. The quantity Of spirits pro-
duced and deposited in distillery warehouses
during the fiscal year is greater than the pro-
duction Of the year 1884 bv
,422, 431 gallons. The quantity OF
spirits withdrawn from distillery warehouses
the fiscal year Is greater than the quantity
withdrawn during the year 1883, by 2,9OI,-
3S7 gallons. The number of gallons of each
kind Of spirits removed for export the first
three months Of the present fiscal year was
1857, 351, as against 752, 1884 gallons re-
moved the corresponding period the last fs-
cal year. The quantity of distilled spirits re-
moved in bond the past fiscal year is $780,
73s gallons, against 1926, ,427 gallons the
previous year. The quantity of distilled
spirits in the United States, except what NAV
be in customs and bonded warehouses the
1st Of October, 1854, was 96,S1O, ,521
gallons. Total assessments made last wear.
8, 436, 224; the increase over the previous
year being in the tax on distilled spirits re-
naming in warehouse over three years.
Estimate of expenses of the internal
revenue service for the fiscal year ending