Evening star., 1898-01-04
COMMISSIONERSCOTT
Rare Opportunities for Reform in In
ternal Revenue Methods.
OLEOMARGARINE LAWS OUTRAGED
What the Records Of the Office
Will Show the New Incumbent.
FRAUDS IN WEST VIRGINIA

The new commissioner Of internal reve-
nue.. N. b. Scott, who assumed the import
ant duties of the office yesterday comes
with reputation for being a man of ster-
ing qualities and for possessing profound
conviction that the laws of the United
states were framed and adopted TO be re-
spected and carried out without fear or
favor. He will have abundant opportunity
to prove the truth of this in rectifying the
errors and removing the evils which have
crept into the management of the internal
revenue bureau in times past, and which
nave become SO common that they are now
apparently regarded as part of the policy
which directs the government of internal
revenue affairs in the United States This
Is especially true Of the course which the
internal revenue authorities have pursued
in relation to the laws and regulations gov
erning the possession, transportation, sale
and exposure for sale OF oleomargarine
The frauds practiced by the dealers in this
product have been persistent and wide
spread, and. owing to the lax methods of
the internal revenue authorities. the vio-
latorS OF the law have come to regard the
laws and regulations as mere words secure
In their knowledge that if by any chance
their reprchensible practices in the hand
ing ana sale of the stuff were discovered,
they could easily secure immunity from
prosecution and punishment, as Intended
by the law, by paying sums of money into
the internal revenue bureau as compro-
misses to save them from trials in court
and the publicity CT their methods that
would ensue therefrcm.
In His Own State.
A glance at the past records of the in
ternal revenue b, reau will acquaint the
new commissioner with some very interest
ing. il startling, facts about the manner in
which the most fragrant offenses against
the oleomargarine laws and regulations,
which the United States Supreme Court
have declared binding and constitutional,
have been cordoned by the secret payment
into the treasury of money by the violators
of such laws and regulations. He will find
that his own state of West Virginia has
Eeen constantly the theater of the fraudu-
lent operations of oleomargarine dealers,
who sold honest merchants doing business
| in the cities and towns what purported to
be butter, and for which butter prices were
paid by the purchasers, but which turned
out to be oleomargarine, the sale of which
| made the unwilling dealers in West Vir-
ginia amenabe to the law, and caused
them much trouble and expense.
Chances in Warrington.
Mr. Scott will also have an opportunity
| to beYin the good work, of which mis- excel
| here in the city of Washington where the
| regulations Of the internal revenue office
| are flagrantly and rersistently disregarded
| and violated by those who deal in oleomar-
garine in the public markets, or scattered
| throughout the city in the shape OF produce
| and grocery and market stores. When Mr..
| Parlstt. the collector of internal revenue
| for the district including the District of
| Columbia, assumed his Office several
| months ago, he publicly declared that he
| proposed to see that the oleomargarine
| laws and regulations were carried out. The
| deputy representing the collector in the
| District of Columbia accentuated this dec
| laration with an announcement of his own
to similar effect.
| The same disregard of the regulations
| that was shown when these announcements
| were made is being shown with equal eff
frontery today in the markets and other
| places alluded to. and its would take no
time or trouble on the part of the repre-
| sentatives of the internal revenue bureau
| to compel a proper observance of the re-
| quirements if they were so inclined.
Stupendous Frauds.
The oleomargarine frauds have been stu
pendous. and no persons are more thor
oughy familiar with this fact than the
special agents and other officials Of the
internal revenue bureau. over whom Mr..
Scott assumed charge yesterday.
1t is well-known fact that the most
powerful influences are behind the parties
who are engaged in the fraudulent sale of
oieomargarne In the state of New York
alone the Armours of Chicago have had
suits brought against them by the New
York state department of agriculture
through the attorney general of the state
for damages amounting to Sl,OoOU Tor
violations of the dairy laws of New York
in the distribution of oleomargar1ne
throughout that state. These suits grew
out OF the fact that the Armours sent
oleomargarine into New York unmarked,
as required by law of the state, and also
of the United States. A recent court order
gave the special counsel for the state en-
gagged in the prosecution of the cases the
right to examine the books of the various
railroad companies for evidence as to the
shipment by the Armours of oleomargarine
into New York, but the same court order
refused the state a change Of venue ana
compels the state to prosecute the SUITS,
of which there are score or more, II the
counties in which the violations are al
legged to have occurred. Some time pre-
vious to this order the representatives oil
the Armours sought to make an agree
ment with the New York state authorities
on the basis of the same compromise plan
| followed by violators of the oieomargarine
laws at all times when brought face TO
| face with possible prosecution. They agreed
| to pay a certain amount of money and 10
| promise not to deliver any more unmarked
| oleomargarine in New York state II the
suits against them would drop.
| 1t is a matter of record at the internal
| revenue bureau as Commissioner Scott can
| easily ascertain from the books, that no
| nromise ever made by a violator OF the
| oleoma argarine laws in connection with the
| payment of sum to escape prosecution Ior
discovered offenses has ever been kept
|
An Expedition Car.
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