Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-05-19
NO WHISKY WAREHOUSES;.

Commissioner Mason Says the Governments
Has Never Built Warehouses For DfsSll-
ers to store Their Products.
WASHINGTON. May l0.-So-nc of the
Farmers Alliance men il the south and
west who are advocating tn warehouse
system for adoption by the government
have been met with the argument that
II IS not the province of the government
to build warehouses for any class OF
producers, to which the advocates of the
warehouse system have replied that If
the government can build warehouses
in which TO store whisky, there ought
TO be no reasonable objection to the con-
struction of warehouses for grain and
other products for the farmers Sem
ator Coclzrell. who believed this notion
was an erroneous one. sent an inquiry
to Internal Revenue Commissioner Ma
son and he has received the following
reply:
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF INTER
NAL REVENUE, WASHINGTON. D. c. May 8.
iSa2-Hon F II Cockren United States Sen
ate; SRI am in receipt Of your letter asking
whether the United States government. out of
government funds, has built any warehouses
Tor the storage Of liquor distilled spirits.
and, If so, the number of such warehouses
when built. the cost thereof and under what
authority Of law they were constructed If
not, to explain who builds bonded warehouses
IOr OlSllLerS. now they are bonded and
what terms the spirits are stored therein and
the revenue collected thereon
In reply I would say that the United States
does not now and has never built any ware
houses for diSsillers for the storage OF their
liquors and distilled spirits There is no law
authorizing the expenditure OF the public moneT
for this purpose All distilled spirits, with the
exception of brandy distilled from apples
peaches and grapes, are deposited in ware
house provided by the disfiller himself. Sec
ton as1i OF the revised statutes provides that
'every distilier shall provide at his expense
warehouse, 10 be siIuated on and 10 constitute
part OF his cistillery premises. am 10 be used
solely for the storage OF distilled spirits of his
OWE manufacture Until the tax thereon shall
have been paid"
DistilleTs OF brandy from applas. peaches and
grapes exclusively are eXelnp: from the pro-
visions OF tina. statute These distiIlels pay
the tax upon the spirits soon produced OF
the spirits are deposited in a bonded warehouse
erected by private individual and stored
there until the tax becomes due, but in no case
Is the government liable for any expenses in
CURED in the storage of distilled spirits OF any
kind Before distiller commences TO operate
his diStillery he executes bond, the condition
OF which, among other things. is for the pay
ment Of the tax upon the spirits produced BY
him When the spirits placed in the
warehouse, which he is required tc9proTide. an
additional bond, known the warehouse
bond ;" is executed for the payment Of the tax
upon said spirits II addition 10 this, the dis
tiliery, premises and apparatus liable for
the tax. and the government has first lien up
on the spirits themSelver for the tax due there
on
Until the tax is paid the government las the
custody Of the spirits BIZ its officers in these
bonded warehouses At the expiration Of three
years. or sooner, If the owner desires the use of
the spirits the internal revenue tax OF e)c
gallon must be paid. Very respectfully yours.
JOHN W. MASON. Commissioner