The Washington times., 1894-03-18
MORE WORK FOR A BUREAU
Taxation Of Proprietary Articles Will
Call for More Engraving.
POUR KINDS OF STAMPS IN USE.
In Case Patent Medicines Are Taxed, What
Stamps Must Be Printed, and What
Privileges Proprietors May Be Allowed
as to the Selection and Execution Of
Their Own Particular Designs.

Their Own Particular Designs.
If a tax is put on proprietary articles, as has
been suggested in the Senate, new industry
will be opened to the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing industry that was abandoned
eleven years ago, as it was thought forever.
So certain was the chief of the bureau In that
day that the government would never return
to the old system OF taxing proprietary articles
that he destroyed all of the plates used in
printing the special stamps. If the new law
should be enacted though, the expense would
all fall on the manufacturers. So the officials
of the Treasury are not worrying about it.
The Bureau of Engraving now makes only
four varieties of revenue stamps. They are
for distilled spirits, fermented spirits, tobacco,
and snuff. These stamps are of different de-
nominations, and each denomination has its
own design. But the tobacco stamp Of one
denomination issued to one manufacturer is
the same as the tobacco stamp OF the same
denomination Issued to another manufacturer.
There is some distinction made in the elab-
orateness and ornateness Of the designs OF
these different stamps. The stamp which is
to go on the box of cigars which stands on
your library table is a little more picturesque
than the stamp which is used on the strip to-
bacco package The bureau comedies SO much
to art.
The internal revenue stamps used to levy
tax on patent medicines were of varied de-
sign. There was common stamp for these
medicines, just as there is for tobacco.
But under the law any manufacturer who
was willing to bear the additional expense of
preparing a special die, and the additional
expense, if any, of printing stamps after his
own design, could have special stamps
printed for him at the bureau. And so many
Of the proprietors OF well-known proprietary
articles availed themselves Of this privilege,
because of the distinction which it carried
that the Bureau of Engraving had on hand
at the time the law taxing these articles was
repealed between 200 and 800 dies. All OF
these dies had been made in the bureau. No
plate made outside the bureau is used there.
and no die has been as yet When the bureau
takes the contract for printing the postage
stamps on the 1st OF July it will use the dies
OF the contractors who are now doing the
work These dies were made by the en-
gravers of this private concern. but they
were paid for by the Post Office Department,
and they are the property of the govern
ment
Not only was the engraving for the patent
medicine stamps done il the bureau, but the
designing OF most of them was done by the
bureau artists. They were quite as compe-
tent to throw glamor around little liver
pill as private workman was. The bureau
was paid ioE their work in proportion 10 the
elaborateness of the design. Within reason
able bounds. of course. there was no limit on
the size OF the stamp which could be used.
The plea OF the manufacturers was tina: their
distinctive labels, which had cost 4 great deal
ot money. would Le spoiled by the imposition
of the little square stamp OF faded red which
was issued by the government. So authority
was given them to have stamps made to con-
form to these labels and some of them went
SO lar as to have the bureau print the labels
themselves part OF the design of the
Stamp. Ii seems rather ridiculous for the
government to be printing labels for bottles
OF saEsaparilia. but that is what the Treasury
Department may come to If the new law is
enacted and the old policy of the govern
meat is carried 10 a logical conclusion.
The Bureau OF Engraving keeps several
thousand dies and plates always on hand. |
but whenever it seems probable that one OF
them will not be needed again it is taken to |
the Navy Yard. broken up, cast into the fur /,
mace and melted. All OF this is done with |
due solemnity. in the presence of a commit !
tee of Treasury clerks. The patent medi- |
cine" dies were destroyed il this way. There |
are some pretty shrewd lawyers In Washing |
ton, who make a specially of cases against |
the government. One OF these. c. H. Par |
sons. fancied that the people who had paid
tor the special proprietary stamps had pro-
prietary interest in the dies. SO he OBJ !
tanned authority from the medicine makers
and filed claim with the Treasury Depart
ment for the value of them. The First
Comptroller disallowed the claim after it had
been pending for several years. Only a
short time ago this claim was revived. and
the Comptroller again disallowed it.
Collectors will have some difficulty in ob-
tanning copies of the internal revenue stamps
from the bureau ii the new law is passed.
There has been 10 difficulty in obtaining
India proofs or specimens of postage stamps
from the Post Office Department in the past
But even that may be changed when the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing undertakes
the contract OF printing the postage stamps
next july. The Solicitor OF the Treasury has
made a ruling that it is contrary to law for
the bureau to give to anyone specimens of its
work on the securities of the government. He
has ruled that the bureau chief who sent spec
linens of the bonds of the United States to the
Office of the Secretary of the Treasury vio-
lated the law. No one he says, has any right
to issue anything in the form of an obligation
OF the government except by authority of law;
and there is no law permitting the bureau to
give specimens of its work to even the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury. There are some excep-
tions to this rule of the department. There
are some engravings done as practice work by
the apprentices in the bureau which are never
used on securities and of which copies are
sometimes given to visitors as mementoes of
the big money mill. Then the practice has
grown up of recent years of giving away
copies of the portraits of public men which
have been engraved for use on banknotes or
bonds This practice is not encouraged, but
it is not forbidden.
The bureau people are amused at the propo-
sition that they may be prevented by some
adverse action of the appropriations COM
mittee from undertaking the business of print
ing the postage stamps. Two of the Pennsyl-
vania Representatives in Congress have stated
recently that they would oppose an appro-
priation asked for extending the bureau, on
the ground that the chief had no right to
undertake the stamp contract without author
ity of Congress. The appropriations COM
mittee may refuse to grant this appropriation,
and the bureau people will be very sorry to
see this done. but the refusal will not affect
the status of the stamp contract. The bureau
has not asked any appropriation for the pur-
pose OF carrying out the stamp contract.
That contract carries itself out. The general
appropriation for the support Of the Post
Office Department provides for the printing