The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-10
Numerous Amendments Proposed to
mittee by Commissioner Scott.
SOME CLAUSES NOT DEFINITE
AND OTHERS PROVIDE NO PENALTY
FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW.
Paragraphs Relating to Telegraph
Messages and Sleeping-Car Tickets
Worrying the Commissioner.

w
of Internal Revenue Scott has proposed the
following amendments to the war revenue
act and they are being considered by the
ways and means committee of the House:
In Paragraph /, Section 2, relative to
bankers, insert in the proper place: I'm
divided profits shall be considered as sur
plus in estimating the tax due from banks,
the amount to- be estimated by taking the
average for the preceding year, provided
that the word capital shall not be under
stood to mean money borrowed or received
from time to time as deposits in the usual
course of business from any person not
partner OF nor interested in the bank, asso-
citation or firm
Paragraph 4, Section 2, relative to com
mercial brokerS'-The Supreme Court held
in the case of Slack VS.. Tucker, % Wall.
81, that persons who receive into their pos
session any goods or merchandise and sell
them on commission cannot be regarded as
commercial brokers' This relieves many
There is no tax imposed on commission
merchants. auctioneerS or real estate
agents or brokers. There seems no special
reason for singing out commercial brokers
and requiring a special tax from them,
especially as the tax falls, in the main, on
a poorer class of people. / recommend,
therefore. that the tax on commercial brok-
ers be repealed, or that other classes of
business, such as commission merchants
and real estate agents, be also required to
Paragraph S, of Section 2-Lecturers.
whether illustrated by stereopticon or 9TH
lions and shows, and should be exempt
from payment of special tax. as should also
local clubs, or amateur performers. charg-
ing a price of admission to their entertain
ments only for the purpose of meeting their
expenses and not for pecunlary profit:
Add to the paragraph in Schedule a,
relative to bank checks, the following:
Provided, that papers in the nature of re-
ceipts or otherwise, used as bank checks
or orders for the Of n fbe u shall
withdrawal of funds from savings banks
by a depOsitOr on presentation OF his bank
book or else impose tax on all receipts.
THE SAME AS A CHECK.
provide that any instrument purporting
on it's face to be a statement Of weights
or rates of merchandise, when cashed a
check or order for the payment of money
shall be held liable to stamp tax the same
as a check.
Under the head of express and freight
in Schedule A, add the following: And pro-
vided also that no stamped receipts or
stamps shall be required for any bale,
bundle article or package transported for
the United States government, nor for such
bales. bundles or packages as are trans
ported by such companies or persons with
out charge thereon Also amend the para
graph by providing distinctly who shall
affix and pay for the stamp required ON re-
ceipts or bills of lading.
The stamp tax on mortgages or pledges,
a.
moved also, on the assignment or transfer
of mortgages leases, policies of insurance.
renewals of agreements, etc AS there Is a
tax on promissory notes, the tax on mort
cages is double taxation and falls on the
debtor class If thought best not to repeal
this tax, l suggest, in order to relieve par
this kind: No stamp duty shall be required
on any power of attorney accompanying a
bond. or note, or pledge or certificate of
stock when such bond, or note. or pledge.
or certificate of stock shall have affixed
thereto the stamp or stamps denoting the
duty required; and whenever any bono or
note shall be secured by a mortgage, but
one stamp duty shall be required to be
placed on such papers. provided that the
stamp duty placed thereon is the highest
rate required for such instruments, or either
of them -, o,.,s,o,
that no stamp shall be required on deeds OF
ONE TAX SUFFICIENT.
'Strike out under the head of contracts
the provision taxing brokers' note, or MEM
orandum of sale of goods or merchandise,
stocks, bonds, exchange, notes of hand, real
estate or property of any kind or descrip-
ton issued by brokers or persons acting as
such, 10 cents. If brokers pay the special
tax required, that should be deemed sufh-
cient.
1.-THE provisions for taxing sales of stock,
products and merchandise in the first and
second paragraphs of Schedule A, should
be amended so as to remove doubts and am
biguities.
"Repeal the paragraph in Schedule A i'm
posing a tax Of 10 cents ON certificates OF
any description required by law, because
of the difficulty and uncertainty OF deter
mining what certificates are taxable Thls
provision has occasioned more difhculty in
its construction and application than any
other provision in this schedule.
amend the paragraph imposing / cent on
Geographic dispatches so as to make 1t def
mite and certain as TO who is to aftlx and
pay for the stamp, the telegraph company
or the person who sends the dispatch.
Amend Section 20 as follows: Beginning
with provided strike out all me se, rest OF
The taxes provided for in Schedule b of
this act shall apply to all patent, trade
mark or proprietary medicinal artlcles. anu
to all medicinal articles which are put up
in style or manner similar TO that OF pat
ent, trademark or proprietary medicines
in general or which are advertised on the
package or otherwise, as remedies or spe-
cific for any ailment, or as having any spe-
cial claim or merit, or to any peculiar ad-
vantage in mode of preparation, quanty,
use or effect: Provided, That no stamp tax
shall be imposed upon any medicinal druS
or mixture of drugs sold to or Tor the use
of any person when prepared Tor SAID per-
son according to the written recipe or pre-
scription of any practicing physician or
surgeon by a druggist or pharmacist sell
ing nj retail only The effect of this
amendment will be to eliminate from Sec
ton 20 the provision that no stamp tax shall
he imposed on any ullcolupouhuSu HeuiSliSei
drug or chemical
vided. further. That articles taxable under
Schedule b of this act may be removed in
hulk for sale in the United States from
the place of manufacture or Importation
without stamps. and afterwards repacked
and stamped under such regulations as
may be prescribed by the commissioner OF
internal revenue. 1t has been found inn
possible in the administration Of the law
under Schedule Il to deal with articles sold
in bulk without imposing great hardships on
the manufacturer which this amendment
will enable this Office to remove by regula-
ton.
THE TAX ON REFINERS
amend the provisions of Section n, inn
posing excise tax on persons, firms, com
panies and corporations engaged in refining
petroleum and sugar so as to require the tax
to be assessed and paid monthly. i suggest
that it be amended so as TO read as follows:
That every person. firm, corporation or
company carrying on o. doing the business
of refining petroleum, or refining sugar, or
owning or controlling any pipeline for trans
porting oil or other products, whose gross
annual receipts exceed $4,000. shall be SUBJ
iected to pay during each special tax year
special excise tax equivalent to one-quarter
of ] per centum on the gross amount of all
receipts of such persons, firms, corporations
and companies however derived, from or in
connection with their respective business in
excess of $50, GOO That every person, firm,
company or corporation, subject to the tax
imposed by this section, shall. within twenty
DAYS after the end of each and every month,
respectively make list or return in dupi-