Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-12-07
INTERNAL REVENUE
ANNUAL REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS
JOSEPH MILLER.
The Quantity of Liquor ana Tobacco Con.
sumed During the Past withdraw
ais for Actual Use Exceed Those OF Last
washington spec;si.,

Joseph Miller, Commissioner OF Internal
Revenue. has made y report to the Secretary
of the Treasury on the working of that ser.
vice during the fiscal year ended June 80.
ceipts for the fiscal year were S124. $685. AS.
an increase of S.. 4S9.174 over the receipts
for the previous year. The estimated re-
ceipts for the current fiscal year are s125.-
yo.oO. provided no changes are made In
drawals for consumption during the year
were: Spirits distilled from apples.
other spirits. 7o,677. s79 gallons: fer,
s.s44: 72e.65o: cigarettes. 1862, 72s, 100;
snuff. 7436.9S9 pounds; tobacco. chew
ing and smoking. 2Ol925.613 pounds;
o ehanaa Il s2.667.755 pounds. This
the previous year: The cost Of collection ton
OF lnternalta for the year was $3978. 283,
being less than 80 per cent. of the amount
collected. During the year ssl persons
have been arrested for revenue violations;
reported for seizure. and .619 for assess
ments for unpaid taxes and penalties. Dur
ing the year 5lS illicit stills were seized. re-
suiting in the death Of ono officer and the
tiileries registered during the year was
1894. and the number operated was 3.646.
Inc Commissioners renews his recon-
mendation that authority be given for the
regulations which govern the production of
brandy from apples. peaches. or grapes en-
clusively: In regard to the proposition to
remove the tax from brandy distilled from
that the relief OF this article from taxation
would lead to the utilization OF large num-
Der OF different fruits for the distillation OF
spirits. and to the production Of an adj
n,tGnal r volume OF such spirits: which
an ,appreciable effect upon the tax
paid grain and molasscs spirits with
which it would come into competition.
Tho quantity. of spirits (7O.279.406 gallons)
produced and deposited in distillery ware
houses during the year is less than the pro-
duction of 1887 by 7.552.193 gallons. There
was IN increase amounting to 1927 500 gal
Ions in the production Of alcohol. rum. gin.
pure. neutral. cologne spirits and miscella-
neous. and u decrease amounting to 1870
o62 gallons in tho production Of bourbon
whisky. rye whisky. and highwines. The
quantity of spirits 7O.741.B11 gallons) with
drawn. tax paid. from distillery warehouses
during the year exceeds that Of last wear by
4,:}53 sos gallons.
The Commissioner says that in response
10 numerous suggestions by members Of
CONGRESS and others as to the practicability
OF withdrawing spirits from distillery ware
houses free of tax for use in the mechanical
arts. and protecting tho revenue against
fraud by methylating the spirits in bonded
warehouses;. established for the purpose.
10 mako experiments in the chemical
laboratory for the purpose of ascertanine,
whether such spirits could be demethylated.,
ne has succeeded, by the use OF a small
still, In separating the, methyl or wood;
alcohol from the ethyl or taxable alcohol
ana IN deodorizing portion of ethyl alcohol
through the use of bone black and other
en nen f.a. snbstances. Tho Commissioner
says lnrther: 1t may be urged that if the'
demcthylation cannot be accomplished
without the use Of II still the operator is
readily liable to detection because of the
special surveillance required by the inter-
nal-revenre laws i'll the matter OF stills and,
distillng. but do not take this view OF the
case. The internal-revenue laws do not
prohibit tho use OF stills by persons other
than tho distillers OF spirits. and. as mat
ter OF tact; many druggists and others use
stills on their premises The still used in
this office was among the smallest OF the
stills which druggists and others. not dis
tilcrs. are permitted to use. and its use
would DO hard 10 detect"
The quantity OF spirits remaining in dis
tillery warehouses at the close of the year
is given at 81 .033.Ols gallons. being 4.l12.251
gallons more than at the close Of the pre-
yious year. The quantity SO remaining
the SG4, 704 gallons grade brandy OF bonded
during the year 5355S3 were produced in the
First district of California l0.Os9 gallons in
tho Tenth district of Ohio. and ZIG gallons
III the Fifth district of Now Jersey. The
States. except what was in customs bonded
warehouses. on Oct. L, 1888. was 93.7l2.919
gallons.
The aggregate amount Of taxes collected
from tobacco during the year was SD GG2 43l.
The export account shows Il decrease in
manufactured tobacco of 224.7CO pounds: II
decrease in the number of cigars exported
OF 1852. 425. and an increase in the number OF
cigarettes exported of 40 1884 $40. The num-
Der of cigars imported during the fiscal
year ended June 30. 1885, was 81, 2C3. $50. The
value of the manufactured tobacco i'm
ported was S89. 457.
The retail liquor licenses in Illinois num-
Der 11.271. u decrease of 1854 for the year.
and the retail beer licenses are 634 an in
crease OF 40 for the yeur. In Indiana the
retail liquor licenses are 5.567. II decrease of
81 for the year. and the retail beer licenses
are 1872 an increase Of IL. In Michigan the
retail liquor licenses arc 215. an increase Of
g. In Wisconsin the retail liquor licenses
are 5.4G6. decrease of 842. and thu retail
beer licenses are 345. an increase Of 1iA.
In the prohibitory State of Iowa the retail
liquor licenses have been reduced from
1854 to 1928. and the retail beer licenses
have decreased from 2S3 to PAP. In the
prohibitorv State of Kansas the retail liquor
licenses have decreased from 2,03Y to 1277
but the retail beer licenses have Increased
from 81 TO ll0. In tho three States OF Maine.
New Hampshire. and Vermont the retail
liquor licenses have decreased from $50 to
22l4. and the retail beer licenses have de-
creased from 318 to 213.
For tho entire country the retail liquor
licenses number 168,GS7. Il decrease for the
year of 1850. The retail beer licenses are
8.1Gi. II decrease for tho year Of 524 There
bnrrcls OF beer, and u decreased production
of $500. Coz gallons of spirits.
In Illinois the total collections of 1883
hugely exceeded those Of 1887 III the First
District the collections were S9.46381S. or
S's4l $50 more than the aggregate OF the First
aud Second Districts the previous year. In