New-York tribune., 1896-01-26
ALSO IN POINT.
rpy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIRrNEl

r.,sbineton Jan. 2L-The conspiracy OF Demo-
-, Government officials 20 conceal the short
.m,res o. the Wilson Tariff law ana keep In the
-~sasurv S0c)ooo which the last Congress ordered
-, ont OF the earnings OF that law continues In
,,u force The test cases In relation to the
,,,, cor refund OF taxes paid upon alcohol with
s,,vn f1r manufacturing purposes were to have
-, heard in the Court of Claims before this time.
-,ev were promised early in January. but the
.,ounceineni IS made that the Treasury Depart
~ ls not ready for the presentation OF the cases
:, is easy as the many claimants against the Gov
eminent know to their sorrow. for officials of ths
,,,af Government to delay action upon just Claims
,,d TIE Trea sury Department. which has annullel
he frce-alcohol clause of the revenue law by the
,efnsal 20 make ;he regulations which that law
a,ecteI the secretary of the Treasury to make for
,he withdrawal of alcohol free OF taxes, exer
rises again the arbitrary power which 1t has exer-
csed in this and other matters notably the sugar
houafv keep money in the Treasury in de-
sanc, os he orders Of Congress; and the claimants
are informed that their must be further
postponed
The Wilson Tarn law. il will be remembered
,roy.icd that any manufacturer using alcohol in
the ar's or in medic nal compounds may. upon
satlsfeng the collector for his district that he has
used The alcohol for such purposes only. receive
,epayment OF the tax which he had pad upon II.
The act required the Secretary OF the Treasury to
establish regulations under which the withdrawal
and uso Of the alcohol should be made. in order
70 protect the Government from loss by PRETENDED
use for manufacturing purposes when in fact II
might be applied TO other uses. The secretary OF
the Treasury has omitted. for reasons best known
10 himself. to make these regulations. lie assumed
that 10 carry them into effect would cost money,
arl that as that act made specific appropria-
ton for this purpose he is not required 10 put the
regulation into effect until money is provided there
for
The result is that 100000 or 2oOoooO gallons of
- .ha ptr1-
since that time have been tax-paid and that these
manufacturers who withdrew the alcohol and paid
taxes have filed claims against the Government in
;he Court Of Claims for refund OF the amounts
which were paid by them. 1t is estimated that the
amount = these claims now reaches s2VVOvV)
Two cases have been brought into the Court of
claims one OF these is brought by the Dunlap
Hat Manufacturing Company. of New-Iork; the
otber hv Sharp a. Dohme. manufacturers of drugs
and Chemicals Of Baltimore. These are considered
,vpc,l cases which would cover most of the
claims cf this sort.
The requirements of the law are perfectly plain
and no question is made by the Treasury Depart
mon, or by ANYBODY else as to the intent of the
act The only question that is raised is whether the
trainers of the act intended that it should go into
effect at once or whether it cannot go into effect
until the Secretary of the Treasury shall make
requisite regulation TO protect the Government from
fraud on the part of those who withdraw the alcohol
handle il after It's withdrawal. 1t will be held by
the representatives of the Government that the act
cannot be effective unless money is appropriated 10
put it into effect The argument IL made that wheh
an act authorizing the construction OF pubhc
building is passed but approprlation is made ior
s construction the cannot be held 10 enter INTO
operation until the money is provded lot tnn1 @ Pi Poid
that the act providing for the withdrawal OF alco-
hol for manufacturing purposes ana paEHenl oi
the xes thereon cannot be effective until the reeu
lati ms prescribed and put into operation anu
that this cannot be accomplished uhlll 'ohsies'
makes a appropriation for this purpose.
II is upon this ground upon this only that the
Treasury Department has retained IN i,s vaults anu
placed TO the credit OF the tariff law probably
seSoOD 900 which the trainers of the act clearly did
not intend have so retained and credited. .bo
Traasury Department has resorted TO keep money N
vaults and prevent the puDc ivSin i I bav
hem Somewhat rema rkabe and the subject OF
ey. Temely vigorous criticism among members OF OF
N,1er discnsslon there Is another sum Of about
3 90 600 which Controller Bowler by SlimPie HI
r,i,i"d TO exercise has retained in the Treasury IN
acance OF the act of Congress which requreu II 20 ~
40 much has been said. and which everybody under
stands In addition to these Two great XII, sns a.
nFs and public works In the case Of the Chico
public Building for nstancei uns % resr va spo and
a., nothine has been done even in the preparation
q the of dasy Of
sc,lv clear that had the intention of the Con;
eress plainly expGsSseSa pnS Sare m Maid Its out fully $50
a.. nre since the enactment of the Wilson law than
/, has paid The shortage s IN ner these crcum
s,ances over s75 O0oCoD and had these sums, which
Congress ordered to be pad oeen 80 pao; the
sloi 49,. heen more than 800 0D00D II Is likely
that there will be some extremes h pa penretar tsk
,sis and his subordnates may hear some unpleasant
things said with " oners of the Govern
rent