The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-10
Commissioner II lntcrnsl. Rcvtaue Scott
Submits important Amendments
COMMISSION BROKERS' sHoulDBE EXEMPT
4 Suggestion tE-t the Law shall
Specify Who Is 10 Pay for the
stamps on TcIcGrams.

| fnend!ng number OF amcndments 10 tne
! act OF Juno 10. 1903. known az tho war rev.
ensie act. The recommendations cover
| charges of an Administrative character I'M
J der schedules 4 and b. also for the month
| ly payment OF excise taxes on sugar re-
fnerles and for n penalty for falling to
, stamp parlor car tickets. Further pro
|v~Icss are suggested rs to the cxamina
tion by internal revenue officers OF articles
& fafs 0 braernal revenue taxss
Following are some Of tho Important
proposed amendments TO the war revenue
act.
In paragraph / section .. relative to
I bankers. insert In the proper place the fol.
lowing:
! Undivided profits shall be considered rs
siirpgas In estimating tho tax due from
banks, the amount to be cstimated by tax
4ie The average for tho pre- eding year.
provSed that the word Capital shall not
be understood TO mean money borrowed or
received from time to ime as deposits 10
the usual course Of bu4iiiess from any per-
son not partner Of. nor interested in tho
bana, as ociation or frin.
Paragralh 4. section 2. relative to com
nlercai brokers.
The supreme court held in a certain case
! tnat persons who receive into their bos-
session any goeus or nertIlndisr 4.!iS. cell
J thein ON coniuilsei9n cum not be regarded
as coinmerciai brokers'. This relieves many
persons VINO would b. Otherwise liable
} lheie IL no tax imposed on commission
J merchants, aucJlonoers or real estate
I aEtrls o. brokers. There seems 10 be no
} sipecial reason FOR singing out CONNER cial
brokers and requn Ing a, special tax from
them, and especially as The tax falls, In
the main, on poorer class of people.
recommend therefore that the tax on ina
comme4 cval brokers be repealed or that
oLher classes OF business such as co1nanis-
sion merchants and real estate agents BIZ
also required TO pay special tax.
AUD To the paragraph in schedule A.
relative to banks checks, the following.
Provided that papers in nature OF checks
or otherwise. used as bank checks or or
deIs Tor the payment OF money, shall be
taxable as checks, except In the case OF
withdrawal OF funds from savings banks
by a depoStor or presentation of his bank
book or else impose tax ON all receipts.
lhe stamp tax on mortgages or pledges
schedule A. should, in my opinion, be re-
moved; also on the assignment or transfer
OF mortgages, leases. policies OF insurance
renewals of agreements, etc.
AS there is a tax on prunissary notes
the tax on mortgages Is double taxation
and falls ON the debtor class. II Thought
besl not to repeal this tax, it is suggested,
In order TO relieve the parties from double
taxation. the provision of this kind.
No stamp duly shall be required on any
pawer of attorney accompanying a bond or
pledge or certificate of stock when SUCH
bond or note or pledge or certificate o,
seek shall have rIxel tn .a'eto the
stamp or stamps denoting the duty re-
CURED, and wherever amy bond or mote shall
be secured by mortgage but one ST amo
duty shall be required to place on SUI IN
papers, provided thut the stamp duty placed
thereon is the highest rate required for
such instruments or either of them.
Insert in proper place provision that no
stamp shall be required on deeds of re-
lease
Repeat the paragraph in schedule A, inl-
posing tax of 10 cents on certificates of
any description required by law becalsyc of
the difficulty and uncertainty OF determine
ing what certificates are taxable. This
provision has occasioned more difficulty in
its construction and application than any
other provision IN this schedule.
Amend the para grsph proposing cent on
telegraphic dispatches so as ITO make 1t
definite and certain as to who Is to ak
and pay for the stamp, ehe telegraph COM
pamy or the person sending the telegram.
Amend sccion 20 as follows; BEGINNING
with "prov;ling." strike out all the rest
| OF the section and substitute:
The taxss provided for in schedule Of
this act STALL apply to all patent trade
mark or proprietary medicinal articles and
10 all medicinal STITCHES which are put UP
! In style or manner similar to ulsat OF pat
ent trade mark or proprietary medicines
In general, OF which are advertised ON the
| package or otherwise. as remedies or spe-
ctes for amy a lment. or as having any
/ special claim TO inert. or TO amy peculiar
ADVANTAGE in mode OF preparation, quality.
use or effect. Provided. THAI no stamp tax
| shall be imposed upon ANY medicinal drug
| or mix .air,s of drugs ssld for the use of any |
person when prepsred for said person ae-
cordlng to the written recipe or prescrip' |
ton Of any practcng physsclan or sur
geon or by a druggist OF pharmacist sell
ing at retail only.
The effect OF this will be TO eliminate
from section 20 the provisions that tho
stamp tax shall not be imposed on any
compounded medicinal drug or chemical.
Amend the provision OF section ~. Inn
posing excise tax on perSons FIRMS, Gem
ren!es ana corporations engaged In REIN
ing sugar so as to reauire the tax 10 he
l suggest that It BIO amended so as to READ
"That every person. firm. corporation or
company carrying on or doing the business
AAg sag.t WI goss annual r.
sei'ts exceed s250,0oo shall be subject to
pay during each special year SPECIAL ca
g. u he value OF ose quarter of
per centrum on the gross amourt Of ali re-
DOR Of such per ons. corporations or
companies. however derived from or In con-
rec or VIII their respective business In
excess OF $250O00
That every psrson, firm, company or cor
poasion subject 10 9he tax imposed by III S
section shall within twenty days alter the
cad OF each and every month respectively (
make INST or return in dupioa3. l. n !,
collector OF the Sis'rlct rat'1H the no i
amount OF he or she,r rece PTS respe lively
for tire month next preceiinr AMI N, 4 |
also paw ~ the collector tia fail amsu 4
Of tax which has 3',crued OH sun raeoips I
fer tins n,orth 2fogesaii. Thee me l'et a,
herein reoriired SHAH be IN sucA iorm - /
shall be VERT pnder -aah Or a''ra'a ION I
by the rsrsoa mshing me same, or n case
Of corporation b. the prssiseri or ~ ~
otftcsr thereof, ard the provisions o, So ion |
al76 Of the Revised Statutes o. thp U,ttei.,
States. tnrlu fns me penalties therein M |
posed fcr neglect or failure 10 file the |
REQUIRED list or re'tirn or for the cling OF |
false or fraudulent lis or return. sre /
hfreDy made Sspplicable 10 the provisions OF