The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-17
THE JUMBO CHAR

Commissioner Mnson's First D~eClSlon-Not
Cigars, but Smoking Tobacco = Other
Washington Matters.
Washington NSpdt:h, Aprii Is,
Internal Revenue Commissioner Mason
to-day made one OF his first rulings,
which Is interesting on account Of being
the first Of the kind ever made, and also
on account OF the interests 1t affects.
There is a large cigar known to the
trade as the Jumbo" cigar. The gen.
eral public very seldom see 1t, In fact,
only on the stage where the light come
dy man comes on smoking It and throws
It into the flies, where II alights with a
"dull thud," Is 1t ever produced. In
reality 1t Is used in pipes, being Crum.
blGd, and Is not smoked Us a cigar.
II is nearly rs thick as a mans wrist,
and o thousand OF them contain 100
pounds OF tobacco. One thousand Of the
average cigars contained between twenty
and twenty-five pounds oftobaCCo. The
tax on smoking tobacco is eight cents
per pound; on cigars 50 per 1000. BY
selling these Jumbo" cigars as cigars
tho manufacturer Is able TO get 100
pounds OF smoking tobacco on the mar.
ket by paying a tax Of So, whereas he
should pay a tax Ia round numbers Of
$lS. In this way the Government is
dOirauded out OF $40 on every 1000 oil
these cigars sold.
In 1887 under tho direction ot.the
Commissioner OF Internal Revenue, suit
was begun against one OF the manufac.
turers OF this kind Of a cigar, but was
dropped by order OF one OF the Deputy
Commissioners. Tho matter was brought
TO Mr.. Mason's attention this afternoon,
and after a long consultation he ordered
that suit DO brought against each man.
uiaCturer 10 recover the difference In tax
on all "Jumbo" cigars manufactured
during the year 1887. There are some
fifteen or twenty manufacturers who
make this brand OF cigars, and the
amount which will DO recovered will 90
well up into the thousands. Mr.. Mason
was surprised 10 find that the matter
had not been pushed before, and said
that q little Common.sense would show
anyone that the Jumbo wasnota cigar,
but merely smoking tobacco put up Id
that form with attempt 10 deiraud.
Mr.. Mason's Office for tho first time
since he has taken tho oath was virtually
empty Of oiliCe.seCkers, In fact there
were but two callers on him Outing The
entire day and these two gentlemen
were not seeking anything Tor them,
selves. Part Of the crowd 10 beginning
10 leave, and this lB most noticed at the
Capitol building. On thOsouth side The
elevator man was kept busy two Of
three hours In tho morning running tht
elevator for new Congressman, who arc
down here looking alter poStollccs 1t
their districts and after the aspiration
Of some Of their constituents.
The postoiiCe Department on the goull
side has been kUptvery busy since Matcl
4, but the report to-day was that Thu
mail was growing less, and they hopet
by the end Of the week 10 be able 10 VII
tially close the office. The elevate
man also hopes 10 DO able TO get ava.
by the first Of May, On the Senate cid
thV elevator and p~eBtoilce must be kop
open Until the Supreme Court adjourhI
There arc soma Senators still here
and 10 keep them from wasting thei
valuable breath the elevator must b