The times., 1898-06-22
NEW REVENUE STAMPS
Difficulty Experienced in Getting
Them Out in Time.
AN EXTENSION WASASKED FOR
The Finance Committee of the Sem
ate, However, Decides That 1t
Would BE Unsise to Change the
Date on Which the Stamps Are to
be Affixed.

If the Treasury Department succeeds
in placing the new internal revenue
stamps in the hands of the public by July
1, so that there will be no Interruption
in the collection of the taxes, they will
have accomplished a task which at pres
ent seems almost superhuman.
What is impossible cannot be accom-
plished, said Chief johnson, of the Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing. yester-
day. 1--WE will do the best we can
The state of affairs which confronts
the Treasury Department is a grave one
and its gravity is fully realized by Sec
retary Gage. The latter yesterday sent
to Congress an urgent letter. in which
he recommended that the time when the
sections of the new act relating to ad-
hesive stamps shall go into effect be ex-
tended from July to July 10, and also
that the rate of discount on purchases of
500 worth more be increased from l
to per cent.
Collector of Internal Revenue Scott APP
peared before the Finance Committee of
the Senate yesterday and made the same
recommendation. He informed the mem
bers of the committee that il would be
next to impossible 10 place these stamps
( in the hands of the people. even If it
were possible to print them, between now
and July l. NEVERTHELESS the committee
decided that 1t would be unwise to change
the date on which these taxes go into
effect and declined to entertain any prop
osition looking to that end.
Mr.. Gage, on being informed of this ac-
tiOn. withdrew his letter and telephoned
to Chief Johnson that he would hold him
responsible for the commencem. mt of the
collection of these taxes on July l. Mr.
Johnson passed the word along the line
and there was renewed activity on the
part of employees.
The great difficulty in connection with
these stamps does not lie in the
engraving and printing. The bill pro-
] vidiug for the issue OF these stamps
was passed on June 10, and the
] tax is to go into effect on July l, and
gave but seventeen days for the engray-
! ing and printing of the stamps and plac-
1 ing them in the hands Of the deputy col
/ lectors. who are to furnish them to the
| consumers. 1t was first necessary to
make the designs for the stamps. to en-
! grave an original plate. to transfer the
! engraving TO steel rolls, to harden the
rolls and then to make 20] Impressions
per plate on fifty plates of each dimen-
/ sion. 1t was also necessary 10 find presses
! Tor the work, TO mix the colorS ana 10
! equip the presses with sufficient work
men. Nine days have elapsed, and yes
terday Chief Johnson delivered to the
Treasury Department his first consign-
ment OF the new stamps.
At the same time. even if the stamps
! were in the hands of the Treasury De-
partment, it would be almost impossible
to put them in places where the general
public could be supplied.
The department yesterday had pro-
posals for furnishing imprinted bank
checks from Minneapolis. Galveston and
Boston. Bids will be received by teIe-
graph or mail until Saturday noon. The
other cities in which bank checks Will
be furnished are New York, Chicago, St.
Louis San Francisco. and Atlanta. No
proposals have been accepted as yet.
Should customers not be furnished with
imprinted checks in time TO use by July
they can affix to the check two-cent
documentary stamp which will answer
| the purpose. The time when the tax on
bank checks will become due will prob
ably be fixed at the time when a check
| is first cashed.