St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-26

Net profit per gallon. ...............S1 10
On the $4,000, 900 gallons now in bond,
the net profit therefore would be, in six
years, So, 100000. 1t is in evidence be-
fore the investigating committee that
whisky eight years old would sell for
$3.50 to S. per gallon. Assuming the
smaller value, the profits on the trans
action would amount to ss4a, 100000.
"While waiting for the immense prof
its from the 'rlpening' process 1t is pro-
posed by the house bill that the owners
of the whisky now in bond shall, so long
as they may desire it, have the use
without interest of SIG, 900, which
would otherwise be paid into the treas
ury on an average of two years. In es-
timating the loss to the government
from this source | have counted the in
tereSt at only So per cent, but to the
owners of the whisky it is worth & per
cent, which makes bonus to them OF
S27, 0O0, 900 in six years. Of course this
is included in the general statement Of
profits Just given, and | mention 1t now
not only to show how generous the
authors and promoters of this measure
are in aiding the
WHISKY MAKERS
and traders to increase the value OF
their property at the expense of the gov
eminent.
There are many other reasons why
object to the proposed partnership, but
these.may suffice for the present.
"Fourth-The house bill wantonly
surrenders bonds, supposed to be good,
which have been given for 80 cents
per gallon on the S5,000,000 gallons now
in bond, and substitutes therefor new
bonds which may not cover one cent
per gallon.
"This seems to me one of the most
remarkable, not to say suspicious,
features of this very remarkable meas
ure.
1.-The first section actually requires
every person having spirits in bond at
the time of the passage of this act to
give, within thirty days thereafter, the
new graduated bond provided for in the
bill. 1t says he shall give it. That
new bond is constructed on sliding
scale, by which the owner of 1000 gal
Ions or less must give security for the
full amount of the tax, namely, 80
cents per gallon, but it is provided that
the penal sum of the bond shall de-
crease in proportion as the quantity of
whisky increases, until the owner of
1,2OO, 900 gallons shall give bond for only
131% cents per gallon, and the owner of
5,00O,OO gallons shall give bonds for
only 4 cents per gallon.
81 venture the assertion that the rec
ords of legislation do not furnish a par
allel to this proposition. 1t says to A.
B., who now has 100000 gallons of
whisky in warehouse, OH which he has
given bond for 81 ,0S0,00 You shall
cancel that bond and give another on
the same whisky for S60,000,' To G. ID.
it says in substance, You have 100000
gallons in your warehouse, on which
YOU have given bond for the payment of
S4. 500. 600: that bond is good for the full
amount, but there is
AN IMMENSE SURPLUS
of whisky in bond, which threatens a
panic and a great fall in prices; you
Shall, therefore, within thirty days can
eel the bond for 1850, 900 and give the
government new one for only $500, 900.
You have given bond for the full
amount of the tax at90 cents per gallon,
but if you fail to give one securing only
4 cents gallon, your whisky shall be
seized to pay the tax Can even the
honorable senator from Kentucky, who
knows so much about whisky, and so
freely charges everybody else with
ignorance, explain this provision on
any known principles of wise or honest
legislation?
"Fifth-The house bill invites COM
binations and speculations in whisky
dangerous to the revenues Of the gov
eminent and wholly in the interest of
speculation"
Of course the bill was defeated in the
senate. Speaking of this bill. Senator
Window declared in the senate that
''1f you put together all the doubtful
measures which have come before con-
gress during the last twenty-five years
they do not altogether open as wide
door for defrauding the government as
does this bill."-Cong. Rec. May %, 'S2,
Vol. 81, p. 1914.