River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-11-29
THE NATIONAL REVENUES.

The Receipts Greater by Over $4,000, 900
Than Those of ISS7-OppositIon to Re-
moving the Tax on Fruit Brandy-Oleo-
margarine.
WAsHINGTuN Nov. 26.-The annual report
OF Joseph S. Miller. Commissioner OF Internal
Revenue, has been given to the press. The
report covers not only the operations OF the
bureau dur 70 the fiscal year ended June 80,
1854 but includes some very interesting COM
parative tables relating 70 production in past
years, as well as additional Information reIat-
ing 10 the work OF the ONCE during the first
quarter OF the current fiscal year.
Mr.. Miiler's report shows that internal rev,
enge receipts from all sources during the past
fiscal year were sl2i $50, 40, or nearly A,5OQ0J0
more than his estimate. His estimate OF re-
eepts for the current year is sl25, 600 100, pro-
vld ng that no changes are made in existing
rates OF taxation. The cost OF collection dus
ing the past year aggregated s3,97s, PSI being
less than 3 a-lo per cent. OF the amount col.
lected. against 3 4-iO per cent in 1884. The
estimated expenses OF the serv ce for the next
nscal year are ut down at 81, 1890.
OF the total revenue rece pts Illinois paid
over 500 0,00l. or about 30 per cent. The col
lectous OF the Filth (Peorial district we're SIS,
81, s40, which we're larger than those OF any
other ngle district; that OF Cincinnati stand;
ing next with SO, 20z 00. The city of Chicago
comes closely after Cincinnati with 80, 453, Ssl.
New YORK comes second in the list OF States
With SIS, 00O0D; Kentucky third, 100000,
and Ohio fourth, with fi5OO0, 00o, and 10 may be
sa that while 1914 violations OF the Internal.
revenue laws were reported by special agents
and sl2 persons were arrested not one OF these
olations or arrests occurred within the
state Of Illinois, and, according TO
the reports OF the Commissioner. no frauds oc-
Cured there. II is notable that there was a
decrease Of 7,552, is3 gallons OF spirits produced
during the year, 0,55i, i25 gallons less Of tour
b whisky. i,l4s9jj less OF rye whisky and
l,S9 49, gallons less Of gh wines.
II is an interest ng fact that in the prohib .
ton State OF Iowa there are licensed recti-
hers, 2,S2S lcensed retail liquor dealers and SO
licensed wholesale dealers. In the prohibi
tion State OF Kansas there is rectifier. Ls57
retail liquor dealers s wholesale dealers and 3
manufacturers Of stills. During the last year
no one has been licensed 10 manufacture or
sell liquor IN the State OF Maine, and there is
no other STATE In the list Of which the same
can be said.
In reference to the proposition 10 repeal the
tax on fruit hrandes. distilled from any kind
of fruit Comm oner Miller says: 1t APP
pears probable that the relief OF this article
from taxation would lead TO the utilization
OF large number Of different fru IS for
the distillation OF spirits, and TO the
productol OF an addit onal volume Of such
spirits, VIII CHI might reasonably be expected to
have an appreciable effect upon the tax-pa q
grain and molasses sp rits with which it would
come into competit n. Under the present law,
VIII en- practically confines the brandy produce
TO the use OF apples, peaches or grapes, arq
despite the endeavOr TO exercise as close -
supervision as II has been found practicable IL
apply 10 business carr ed on by many ln-
div duals and scattered over so large an area,
IL is supposed that 4 cons derabie percentage
OF the product escapes tax; and this amount Is
the subject of complaint from the distillers OF
VIII skies, who declare that 1t is perceptibly'
felt ia some Races"
The ComIatss. oner believes that IL In additioi
TO d fraud uient quantity the whole leg innate
product OF fruit brandy should be put upon
the market tax free. and this should again be.
swollen by the unrestricted use not only of
apples, peaches and grapes but Of any and all
other fruits, under the inducement offered of
competition with whisky and rum loaded
with tax OF % cents a gal,
Ion, the grievance to the VIII sky produc-
ers would prove not TO be an imaginary one.
So the reduction in the revenue by the aboil-
on Of the tax upon fruit brandy is not to be
measured by the subtraction OF the prese Mt
collections from that source. A considerably
larger amount would, in all probability, be
lost, while mischief TO the revenue service
and increased dif1icult es in the enforcement OF
the law as to grain and molasses spirits, out of
all proportion TO the amount of tax sur
rendered, might be serI ous.y apprehended.
During the pa st year tobacco and its manu-
features yielded ss0,6Gs i31 against $50, l0S,067
dur ng the preceding year; spirits, S69,sJ6.I66
aguiust s65, $40. 32i in 1887, and fermented
liquors 33f242is last year, aga nst 81, 922 IS.
the year before. The revenue from oleomarser-
inc during the past year amounted to 70, $751; 1870,
and for the eight months in 1886 and 1887,
when the tax was first put on, 1t aggregated
s.23 SIS.
Speak ng OF the operations of the Oleomarga-
riue law, the Comm issioner shows that the
total quantity manufactured during the sen
months since the law went into eject
was 500 0l5l pounds, all OF which
was consumed in this country except 3
10000 pounds, which was exported or
destroyed by fire. In April, 1886
there were 8! manufacturers, 2S6 wholesale
dealers and 3,929 retail dealers, making a total
of 4, l97 holding licenses. Since that date tins
total has been reduced TO 8, 4G4, OF whom 20 are
manufacturers, 154 whole ale dealers and
3,279 retail dealers. The Commission
er attributes the falling on to the
fact that manufacturers are now dealing
direct with consumers and TO the prohibtory
laws IN several States which have driven out
the manufacturers and dealers. He intimates.
however. that this decrease may be partially
due 10 fraud, and says it a subject OF great
solicituds N the department The report says:
1.-THE statement as to the production and use
OF cleo OIL SHOWS that more than 27,O00,00
pour DIS out Of a total product OF 69OO0,0O0
rounds OF this substance, invented solely for
stiute, was neither exported nor
used in the manufacture Of oleomar-
garine The question as to what actually
becomes of this mate ial will never be salts
ctorily answered until the manufacturers
thereof are compelled TO account for Il With
the same particularly as they are required 10
account for the article subject to tax, and re-
new the recommendations en- this subject made
il my asst annual report. II is doubtless used
in the manufacture Of some food prod
uet such, for Instance, as cheese. 1t can not
be economically used as a lubricant, in the
face of tie fact hat IT'S market price is nearly
double The Irice OF tallow. The examination
IN laboraJo cries Of articles sold ash utter but
pc tea OF being oleomarger ne have been
fCu.d inapequate TO meet the demands
o. a service covering a territory whose area is
36ll849 square m les.
TIE Commiss oner's tables show that Of a
total of 56,00OCO0 pounds OF oleomargarine
manufactured during the last year 29,0000OQ
pounds were produced In the city Of Oh cago,
and that the State OF Connecticut. comes sec,
ond with 6,0O0,1O1 pounds. The receipts from
the taxat on Of oleomurgarine during the fiscal
year end ne June 81, 1888 were sS5t139. Of
winch s653,3l5 came from the taxation OF 2
cents pound.