The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-09-07
TWO MILLION STAMPS HAVE
BEEN ISSUED.
HUCH WORK FOR THE COLLECTORS.
Every Pack oRered for sale. whether at
the Manufacturers, the Wholesale
Dealers, or the Retailers, Must
Have a Stamp Amxed, Under
Penalty of n Heavy Fine
The Alcohol Problem.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5.-Two million
of the new playing card revenue
stamps made necessary by the tariff
bill have been printed in the. last two
weeks. Every pack offered for. sale,
whether at the manufacturers the
wholesale dealers or the retailers
must have a stamp affixed, under pen
atty of a heavy fine. Consequently
the collectors are obliged to look over
the stocks of all stores in their dis
tricts where cards are likely to be
kept and see that every pack pays
revenue of two cents After the
stocks now in had at the retailers
have been sold out it will be easier to
collect this tax, because all cards can
then be stamped in the first place at
the manufacturers esta bIishments.
Two varieties of the stamps are be-
ing printed red stamp, which, be-
sides the usual heading and denomin-
alton bears the words ''on hand Au--
gust =, '94," and blue one for regu-
Tar use, printed ''Series of '94'' The
designs are very simple, consisting of
a hand of cards beside the inscrip-
tons
A change in the plates for all the
internal revenue stamps is being made
by the bureau to conform to the new
law. The words t'Series of '94'' will
be displayed on all the revenue
stamps hereafter. Those already in
stock of the last series will not be
wasted, but will have the same words
stamped across the face or will be
surcharged, as the term is.
Commissioner Miller of the internal
revenue bureau has been diligently
at work in the preparation of regula-
tions under which the provision of the
tariff act in regard to alcohol used in
the arts and medicine may be carried
into execution fairly, but thus far the
solution of the matter seems as re
mote as at the beginning. 1t would
be easy enough to formulate regula-
tions were it not for the fact that
congress has provided no money nor
machinery by which the department
would be enabled to administer the
law. It's enforcement would be easy
also were it possible to confne its
operations and benefits to the large
manufacturers, who might be looked
after with comparatively little ex-
pense, but the act forestalls any such
Interpretation by providing that ''any
manufacturer" may use alcohol for
the specified purposes, free of
taxes. While this use must be con-
trolled by regulations made by secre-
tary of the treasury, yet it would be
a violation of the spirit of the act, if
not its letter, it is said, were those
regulations so drawn as to practically
debar from the benefits of the act any
honest and legitimate manufacturer
however small, The question to be
solved is, how effective supervision
can be established over 200, 1000 drug
gists md other prospective benefici-
aries OF the act without the aid of a
large force of agents. This force the
secretary has not at his disposal and
under the law has no authority to
appoint. There seems to be only one
course open to the officials and that is
to postpone action in the matter
until congress reassembles in Deem
Der.