The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-17
The Culmer Cigars.
To the Editor of THE HERALD


Your local manages, no doubt unin-
tentiona'ly. to give anything but the
true version of the proceedings in -
Culmer Brothers imported cigars. In
formation was brought to Deputy
Collector Dennis Office about a week
since THAT Culmer Bros. had on sale
some 10000 imported cigars which had
no internal revenue stamp on them.
Section 3,4O2, r. s., says: "AIl cigars
imported from foreign countries shall
pay, in addition to the import duties
Imposed thereon, the tax prescribed bv
law for cigars manufactured in the
United States and shall have the same
stamps affixed" And Section 1893
r. s says: THE absence of the proper
reVenue-stamp on any box OF cigars
sold, or offered for sale, or kept for sale.
shall be notice to all persons that the
tax has not been paid thereon, and shall
be prima facie evidence of the non-pav-
ment thereof, and such cigars shall be
forfeited to the United States"
Mr.. Dennis, having become an officer
of the Internal Revenue but recently.
conferred with rue about it, and asked
me to go to Gunner Bros. with him and
see the cigars. l did so last Saturday.
and we found the cigars as reported.
without the Internal Revenue
stamps on them. They had the
imported stamp, and upon it was writ
ten IN red ink: American goods REIN
ported I. J. R., the initials being those
of a San Francisco Custom House
officer. Mr.. Culmer said the cigars had
been exported TO Victoria, B. A, de
clined by the consignees returned, and
sold to his house by Liebes & Co., of
San Francisco, with the assurance that
they were all right. Although the
cigars, having no internal revenue
stamp, were contraband under the plain
provi ions Iof the law above cited we
thought there might perhaps be some
regulations of the Treasury De
partm-nt which had never been
furnished to the Utah Office
detained the cigars until we could ascer-
tain, taking Culmer Bros. warehouse re-
ceipt for them. Mr.. Dennis reported
the case to the Collector and to the
Commissioner. Mr.. Gunner wrote
Liebes Il Co and the Custom House, for
the authority of law under which the
cigars were rightfully on the market. if
they were so this brought by FRIDAYS
mail certified copy of Treasury deci-
sion 800, dated Nov. IL, 1881, covering
the case by practically setting
aside the provisions of law above cited.
under Sec. $500, r. s., relating to
Duties on Imports, " decision which,
as said before, has never been fur
nished to the Utah Office, it not being
Custom House. Upon receipt thereof,
Mr.. Dennis Immediately wrote to Gull
mer Bros, returning to them their
warehouse receipt, and releasing the
cigars. Your reporter might have
learned these facts by calling at Mr..
Dennis office, a courtesy which he will
no doubt practice upon occasions in flu
ture. Mr.. Dennis did his duty in the
no less. he did precisely
what l should have done. and what he
would do again. under similar circum-
stances. He has no objection to having
his official action reported in this, or
any other case, provided it is reported
accurately.
o. J. HoLLlsTER.
SALT LAKE, October 1G. 1885.
1t rs rather difficult to see, even tax
ing Mr.. HOLSTERS statement for it.
where The HERALD reporters account
gives anything but the true version of
the proceedings" The only difference
between the two seems to be that Mr..
II. states the goods were detained. p
and the reporter states they were con
fScated," the exact word used To him
by the Messrs. Culmer Brothers. them
selves; as for the rest of the article, 1t
merely recited that there had been a
mistake. and that it was discovered anu
corrected, which Is precisely Hnat Mr..
HOLSTER says himself.