The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-15
dunno IS NOT TO BLAME.
Washington Has Received Her
Share Of War Stamps.
NOT BEING MADE FAST ENOUGH
Deputy Collector Bowen Visits Port
land TO NORTHUMBERLAND WASH
inEton Has Gotten Her Just POr-
ton of Documentary stamps
Until supply II Sufficient In
stramentx May Go lnstamped d.

The action taken by the Chamber OF
Commerce at its last meeting, expressing
dissatisfaction with the exceedingly Inn
tied supply Of war revenue stamps allot-
ted to Washington. and applying to In
ternal Revenue Collector Dunno, al Port
land. Or, for relief, appears to be an ex-
preston OF the sentiments OF the entire
business community of the city. The fact
that merchants. bankers and other max
ers Of taxed Instruments have been and
are unable to procure either a limited sup
ply of stamps from the deputy's office here
or a sufficient supply from the collectors
office at Portland, has led to great dissat-
isfaction and not a little criticism of both
the local and district offices. The fact is,
however, that neither IS to blame. Deputy
Collector Bowen has just returned from a
visit TO the district office at Portland,
where. he said to a Pos;-In:elligencer re-
porter yesterday, affairs are in very bad
shape because of the failure of the depart
ment at Washington city 10 furnish suf-
ficient additional clerical force to handle
the extra work made by the war tax Mr.
Bowen makes the following statement with
regard TO the apparent neglect of Collector
Dunno 10 give Washington her fair proper
ton OF stamps received for the district
which. 1t will be remembered, comprises
the states of Washington and Oregon and
the territory of Alaska:
Not Enough to Go Around
During the three days Of my stay at
Portland the office there had absolutely
no documentary war stamps nothing but
the stamps OF large denomination. which
are designed for tobacco. liquor and beer
tax, OF the value OF S and SO. While 1t
is quite natural that the people of Seattle
and the state at large should feel annoy
ed that the government imposes a tax and
then fails TO provide means of paying it,
yet 1t Is not just that tn, II criticism should
fail upon the district office Ny exami-
nation of the reports at Portland showed
clearly that Washington state has rece.V-
ed her full share of the supply of STAMPS
thus far received for the district The
trouble Is not IL an unequal distributton
Ii is simply that the government has not
been abe to turn out stamps enough to
meet the demand of the country. The same
complaint is being made In the East as in
the West. The demand Is enormous: the
supply is inadequate. For the present
there Is only one solution. of the problem;
Until Mr.. Dunno receives sufficient stamns
10 I'LL, or partially fill, the orders which
are pouring in upon him constantly the
niihS anu Okner INSTITUTIONS through which
taxed documents pass must. 50 long as
they have no stamps, simply keep a record
OF the unstamped instruments which pass
through their hands; later they will he
required 10 make a sworn affidavit 10 this
record, an assessment will be levied and
thus the matter will be ultimately straight
ened out.
No Documentary Stamps
IL may state further that there will be
no documentary stamps sold a, the Seat
tie office. even If they are received, until
the commissioner OF internal revenue at
Washington shall see fit 70 appoint an ex-
ira clerk 10 this office. We simply could
not handle the stamps. Mr.. Paul has his
hands more than full attending TO the to-
baccD. liquor and beer tax and expountli.ig
the avs 10 customers and for him II han
die the documentary stamps also would e
quite Impossible.
To those who have sent money n M
Dunno Tor stamps and nave received no
recognition of the orders or the recent +
the money! ! may state that Mr. punne
VIII answer a. the first possible moment
Thus far tae government has allow 4 he
Portland office ou,y one eNtre office clerk
and one Stenographer. The entire force. l.
working carry ard late. but they can 10
only as mach as they can. and no more.