The Osceola times., 1888-12-01
INTERNAL REVENUE.

| Treasury Big Batch Of Illicit stills De-
stroyed-rhe Oisomargarin line Industry.
WAsHISGroS nov. 20 Tho annual re.
| port OF Joseph & Miller, Commissioner
| OF Internal Revenue, was given to the
press last night The report covers not
only the operations of the bureau during
the fiscal year ended June 81, 1855, but
| includes some very interesting compare
tive tables relating 20 production in past
| years, as well as additional information
relating to the work Of the Office during
| the first quarter of the current fiscal
| year. Mr.. Miller's report shows that in
ternai revenue receipts from all sources
| during the fiscal year were Sl2i 326, 4l5, or
nearly four ard half millions more than
his estimates. His estimates Of receipts
for the current year Is Sl2j,O)O,OO. pro-
viding that no changes are made in exist
ing rates of taxation. The cost OF collec-
tion during the past year aggregated
S3,g7s, 2S3; being less than three and two
tenths per cent OF the amount collected,
against three aud four per cent in
| 1887. The estimated expenses OF the
service for the next fiscal year nre put
down at t. 1885 $50
| During the past year tobacco and its
manufactures yielded So, &C., 49, revenue,
against 80, los 0GI during the previous
year; spirits SG9, 800 llG. against SI5 500,
321 in 1887, and fermcnted liquors s23, :
2ls last year, against S2l, 922, ls7 the year
before.
The revenue from oleomargarine dur
ing the past year amounted " 1851, l29,
and for the eight months in 1861, when
the tax was first placed on it. 1t aggre-
gated S723 9iS
During the past year 5ls Illicit stills
were seized and removed or destroyed,
ana one officer, Deputy United States
Marshal Trammell, of Arkansas, WAS
killed. Tho year previous there were i5d
seizures. The production OF tobacco,
snuff, cigars and cigarettes during the
year compared with the previous year, is
stated rs follows; Tobacco, pounds, 20l,-
256l3; snuff, pounds, 1896 9S9. Total
tobacco and snuff. 209 362,6)2. Increase
over the last fiscal year, 2s63, 0Sl. To-
bacco and snuff exported, IS jji ~, To-
tai production for the fiscal year 1888
222, sG6, ,029: increase over the fiscal year
1887, 2,63s, 37j. Cigars number 3 si4, 1876, :
$50; cigarettes. ,S62, 12l 100; total taxed.
| D. 1O7 4i2, 75D; increase over the last fiscal
year, 34, $40, lo7. Cigars exported, l43 :
625; cigarettes exported ls0, 769 500; total
product for the fiscal year 1887 5,5li :
| 90, 9o3
On the subject Of methylnted spirits,
the Commissioner says: Inquiry hav-
ing been made at this Office by Members
of Congress as to the practicability of
Withdrawing spirits from distllery ware
houses free of tax, for use in the me-
chanical arts and protecting the revenue
against fraud by mothylating the spirits
in bonded warehouses established for the
purpose, the microscoplst OF this office
was requested TO make experiments In hs
chemical laboratory for the purpose of
ascertaining whether such spirits could
be denethylated. 1t appears from his
report that he has succeeded by the us 9
OF u small still in separating the methyl
or wood alcohol from the ethyl or taxa
bic alcohol, and in deodorizing portion
OF the alcohol through the use OF bone .
black and other chemical substances. 1t
may be urged that IL tho demethylation
can not be accomplished without the use
of still, the operator Is readily liable to
detection because Of the special surveil-
lance required by the internal revenue
laws in the matter Of stills and
distilling, but l do not take
this view OF the case. The
internal revenue laws do not prohibit the
use OF stills by persons other than dis
tillers of spirits, and, us a matter Of fact,
many druggists and others use stills on
their promises. 1t is true that these laws
prohibit the making of mash fit for the
distillation Of spirits, except on the prem
ises OF distiller, brewer or vinegar
manufac urer. 1t is also true that tn ,
process Of MASKING is readily dscovere
IL,
premises on which the business ia con-
Quoted, but the process of dem ,thylation
does not involve any process OF mashin z
or fermenting, the use of the large still
which even the smallest distillers who
produce spirits from a mash are com.
peeled TO use. The sllll used In this Office
was among the smallest OF the stills
viii, h druggists aud others, not distillers,
are permitted to use.
The Commissioner devotes consider
able space to oleomargarine, its produc'
ton, manufacture and taxations 81, 557,
52T pounds were produced at manurac
tories during the year, and 81. 69i 627 be
tween November /, 1856, the day on whicl
the Oleomargarine law took effect, ant
June 30, 1881. There appears, he says, tC
have been small increase in production
during the year, aud the demand for con
sumption at home and abroad, is in
creased A considerable decrease in tn,
humber of manufacturers, MS well n,
Wholesale aud retail dealers, Is reported
Commenting on this, Commissioned
Miller says that the decrease in the mum
Der OF special tax payers has become
subject of great solicitude to this office
as il may be partly due 10 fnud, anC
adds: 'The statement (appcnded to III
repurO rs to the production and use o
oleo oils shows that more that p, 900, 00i
pounds out OF aproduct during the yea
of 69OOo, 900 pounds OF this substance, in
vented for the sole purpose of being use,
in the manufacture OF butter substitute
was neither exported nor used, as showT
by reports received at this office, in IN,
manufacture of oleomargarine. Th'
! question as 10 what actually becomes %
this material will never be satisfactorily
answered until the manufacturers there
of are compelled to account for 1t will
the same particularly as they are re-
quired Tor the article subject TO tax. |
is doubtless used in the mauuta cture o
some food product such, for instance, rs
| cheese. l. can not be economically USED
as a lubricant, in the face OF the fact tina
its market price is nearly double tn,
price OF tallow. 'ai ' .aF |
| -
| . They .Go" as They Please.
NEw YoRx, Nov. 20 AT midnight th'
Marquis Of Qleensbcrry said Co" ant
the contestants in the SIX days Eo- as