Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-09-28
WAR TAX WILL STAND.
Revision will Merely Remove Some
of the Inequalities and
AnnoyanceS.

Washington, D.. c., Sept. 24.-Secrc-
tary Gage does not feel at present that be
will be justified in recommending any re-
duction in the revenue. He realizes that
the customs and internal revenue receipts
under the cd law will not be sufficient to
meet the needs Of the government. There
is, however, a likelihood that many in
CAPABILITIES and annoyances in the tax law
will be modified or repealed.
L shall recommend to Congress-" said
Internal Revenue Commissioners Scott,
some changes in the present law, but
they will be in the direction of smoothing
down the rOughness which the operation
OF the law has shown to exist. AS 2
whole the people have accepted with the
least possible complaint the enforcement
of the general system of taxation, and l
DO not believe there will be objection 10 4
continuance Of the taxes, provided that
some of the annOyances are removed. I
know, for instance. that the manufacture
ers of proprietary medicines want the tax
on their articles continued. 1t will not
be long before they receive from the gov
nme the stamps printed from special
dies Which they Will use as trade marks"
What are the most annoying features
Of the law?'
Eve nave had more CORRESPONDENCE and
trouble over the express receipt stamps
than anything else. The makers of the
law undoubtedly intended that the COM
panies should pay for the stamp, and the
encouragement has so decided, but the
express companies have been instructed
and deied the law, even to the extent
OF refusing packages when the shipper
declined to pay for the stamp. We have
many letters every day about this mat
ter, and l should like Congress to pla &c
the responsibility for paying and afiXing
the stamp. The stamp on telegraph mes
sageS is something of an annoyance, but
does not occasion 4 great deal of COM
plant, although | think that Congress
intended that this stamp should be paid
by the telegraph company, and not by
the writer of the message. There is y
Htte friction, too, in the matter of the
tax upon transfers of stock. owing to the
uncertain position which some brokers
occupy, but [ do not believe that the tax
Will be abandoned. The government now
gets ABOUT $4,000 q day from the New
york Stock exchange alone, SO that the
time. ~
= think there should be a better pro-
VISION regarding the stamp taxes upon
notes and mortgages" continued Mr.
Scott: AS the law at present stands y
man IS made to pay for new stamps every
tine q mortgage or a note is renewed. 7
Inlhk he first payment of the tax shouId
De sufhcient until the instrument is finally
canceIed; There are a number Of little
hln like this that do not bring a great
amount of money and which cause need
less annoyance, which ought to be
changed, and [ would be very glad to see
them changed. After these things have
been rectlhed L do not believe the opera
ton OF the tax law will cause any trouble
whatever"
Since the first day of last July the re-
celpfs from internal revenue sources have
aggregated about $65, 900, 900. and the es-
innate for the entire year is 100000 600.
as against $170,000,0 600, which was the
total for last year. The customs receipts
are not running SO heavy, only S43. OOO.-
600 having been collected since july /.
and the total for the year will be about
S2OO,OO0,OO0 Speaking of these figures.
Mr.. McLennan, the chief of the warrants
and appropriations division of the treas
ury department, and the expert in the
matter of national receipts and expendi-
lures, said: 1T is very easy to see that
It the receipts of the year aggregate only
100000, 600 we will not have too much
money. There was a time, of course,
when that sum would nave seemed I'm
necessarily large, but conditions have
changed. We will need a great deal to
meet the Increased appropriations which
Congress is certain to make. The army
and navy will require very much larger
sums than hitherto, while the govern
ments of Porto Rico, Hawaii and the
Philippines are all new and uncertain
items of eXnpnditurnS'