St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-23

3. 9 per cent of the amount collected. Six
hundred and twenty-four violations OF in
ternal revenue laws have been reported by
revenue agents during the year; 234 persons
have been arrested on the information;
property to the value of $171, 522 has been
reported for seizure and $5S, S26 for assess
ments for unpaid taxes and penalties. The
commissioner recommends an increase IN
the number of revenue agents. The report
of the tobacco industry for the last fiscal
year shows gratifying results. Not only
has there been a small increase IN the
amount of taxes collected, but there has
been marked increase of manufactured
products, and an unusually large increase
of the quantity of these products exported
to foreign countries. The whole number of
grain distilleries registered during the year
was 1, 1876. of which only 91S were operated.
The commissioner invites special attention
to the necessity of legislation having for its
object the taxing of all fractions of gallon
of distilled spirits, and says the operation
of the present system of taxation
RESULTED IN THE LOSS
of very appreciable amount of revenue.
He adds that the plan has been adopted at
several large distilleries of substituting
packages of ten gallons and upwards, in
place of the spirit barrel of ordinary size.
for the sole purpose, apparently, of obtain
ing the benefit of the untaXed fraction as
frequently as possible. The commissioner
also recommends that the provisions
of the law under which grape brandy pro-
duets are permitted three years storage of
their production in special bonded ware
houses be made applicable to distillers Of
brandy from all fruits. The quantity of
distilled spirits in the United States, eX-
cept what may be in the customs bonded
warehouses on the 1st day of October. 1886,
was 80, 107, ,026 gallons, and the average
stock of each retail liquor dealer in the
United States is estimated at $50 gallons.
There was decrease of 81. 800, Ola of the
assessments ON distilled spirits made during
the past year from the amount assessed in
the previous year. mainly because the pro-
duction of distilled spirits three years ago
was less than it was four years ago. and be-
cause large quantities of spirits on which
the tax became due were bonded for export
and suffered to remain in the warehouse
without payment or assessment tax Tor
period not exceeding seven months. Al
luding to the reimportation OF exported
spirits
THE COMMISSIONER SAYS:
Besides the 100000 gallons of domestic
never been paid, which remained in store in
foreign warehouses at the close of the year.
there remained in distillery warehouses
10. .229. .473 gallons of spirits which had so re-
manned for a period exceeding the three
years from the date of entry for deposit. 1t
appears under an opinion of the attorney
general of Dec. "a, 1884, that such spirits are
covered Dy transportation bonds or exporta-
ton bonds, and are allowed to remain in dis
tillery warehouses during a time reasonably
necessary in process of expectation, even
after the expiration of the three years limit
fixed by the warehousing bond. This time
was limited by my predecessor. with the ap-
proval of the secretary of the treasury. to
seven months. Not beng able to see the ne
cessity for so long time to accomplish the
transportation of the spirits to the port of
export, 1 have, with the approval of the
present secretary, reduced the time to thirty
days, and so limited the time within which
said bonds may be fled as to collect the tax
on or before the expiration of the time (three
years. within which spirits may remain in
distilery warehouses. The only time now of
obtainable excess of the three years is that
which occurs through the necessary delay in
enforcing the payment of the tax.