The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-01
STAMPS MAY GET HERE TO-DAY
but If NOT BUSINESS WILL GO ON
JUST THE SAME.


| transportation Companies and
Custom House to Keep a Record
of All business Papers without
Stamps-COmmissiOn of Internal
Revenue Says Impossible Things
Are Not Required of Any One.
Twenty dollars worth of 2-cent internal
revenue stamps, for use under the new
law, reached Savannah yesterday morn
ing. They came to the Savannah Bank
and Trust Company and were the only
stamps received here. An early order from
Cashier Cam led to this small lot coming
to this city. The order was for several
hundred dollars worth, but the stock at
Atlanta was so limited that but a small
proportion of what was desired could be
had.
There was a rush for these stamps. Only
the banks customers got them, and they
were limited to a few each so that the
thousand received might go as far as pos
sible and tide all over for one day at
least The stamps are oblong in shape,
somewhat smaller than the new issue of
| Mississippi Exposition stamps, and
are reddish in color. A picture of bat
| tleship adorns them.
Every time one uses a stamp he will
remember the Maine,'" said a critic in
'discussing the stamp.
The reading matter on the stamp is, out
side of the denomination: United States
Internal Revenue, series of 1898, Documen-
tary."
1t is the one-cent and the two-cent
stamp that the general public will be most
! acquainted with. To-day those that
| came yesterday will be used on checks,
rsight drafts and promissory notes prin-
| cipally. Checks and drafts carry one
| each, while on the notes there must be a
stamp equal to 2 cents on each 500 of
its face value. But the number of bus
mess men who will be in position TO stamp
such papers promises to be very small
alongside the great army of those who
will have TO conduct their affairs without
! complying with the law. This morning
may bring stamps and then it may not.
| Atlanta advices yesterday were to the eff
feet that it might be two days before
| stamps, could be procured President Purse
Of the Board of Trade, though, wired Con-
gresham Lester for information, and he
! ceIVed the following reply: Stamps mail
ed to Savannah yesterday; ought to be
there to-day" This being correct, stamps
may arrive in sufficient guam
tty this morning to meet all
| demands. IL is out of the
ordinary course of business, however, for
stamps to be sent directly to the deputies,
| the usual way being to furnish all depu-
| ties through the collector in charge of
their respective districts. Owing to the
| extraordinary conditions existing it may
have been decided to save time by ship
| ping directly from shington to Savan-
nah. Business men generally will hope that
| this is so as it will save them annoyance.
|, All of the banks have decided to go on
with business as usual They will merely
| keep a record OF all papers requiring
j stamps, and have them placed on them as
soon as supplies can be had. 1t is proposed
by one or two banks to write on each
check, draft, etc, when paid, If unstamp-
cd, stamps not obtdinable," indicating
the willingness to comply with the law If
the means were at hand to do SO. One
| thing that may cause some annoyance, I'M
| less stamps arrive, Is the fear in buying
exchange that when presented for pay
ment elsewhere the banks may not want
to honor because not stamped. Letters of
expiration may nave to be sent with such
papers, and with money accompanying for
the purchase of stamps at New York or
! wherever the exchange goes. Considering
the volume of this business done by some
of the Savannah banks, it can be appre-
ciated that his would mean much
extra work The bank people, above
all, are the ones who will pray that this
morning will usher in an adequate amount
| of stamps to so round.
AT the railroads and express company
| offices, the statement was made yesterday
afternoon that they would also keep re-
cords of bills of lading issued and meet
any demand which might be made OH them
by giving an exact statement of the bust
ness transacted without stamps. The tele-
graph company expects to have stamps az
soon as any one else. In the meantir.e It's
business viii go on as though wars and
war taxes were unknown
1t is only papers bearing date of July l.
or later, that require stamps. A check
drawn yesterday and not presented for
payment until to-day, or even several DAYS
| later, would not, as the Savannah banks
construe 1t, require a stamp. Checks are
sometimes out for a week or more before
| they are presented for payment, and there
will be many cashed in the next few DAYS
that will not come under the tax. The
dating back of check or other paper,
though TO avoid the stamp tax would be
a crime, aud as the penalty is a stiff fine
or imprisonment it is not likely to be at
| tempted merely to save two cents or some
! other small sum.
At the custom house 1t was stated that
as the dealings were all with responsible
houses, there would be no trouble exper-
|
stamps were not now available. Clearance
papers, aud The other documents required
IN shipping circles, will be issued without
stamps and those evidences of the pay
ment of taxes put on by the proper parties
whenever they can get them. AT the Gus
tom house the stamps will be of large de-
nominations, the taxes running from 80
cents on up TO $500.
| The impression among business men
that no attempt will be made to prosecute
for failure to comply with the law when
stamps were not at hand is well based.
| Commissioner of Internal Revenue N. B.
Scott has sent out the following state
| ment which covers the matter:
Washington, June 29.-Attention is call
ed 10 the last three lines on page s and
the first three lines on page of the war
revenue tax of 1898, which read as fol
| lows:
"And provided further, that in all cases
where the party has not affixed the stamp
required by law, upon any such instru-
/ sstn raI cola