The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-30
NO STAMPS IN SAVANNAH.
SMALL STOCK SENT ATLANTA
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ALL SOLD.


ing written Demands for Stamps
to Protect observation-disclosures s
May Have TO Go on without Com
plying with the Provisions of the
~ LAW.
Tonight, at midnight, the war taxes so
into effect After the clock strikes j
1t is required by law that every telegram
sent must bear a one cent stamp, that
every check or draft issued carry on its
face a two-cent stamp, and that various
other business or legal papers have stamps
of different denominations affixed to them.
But while the government declares that
stamps must be placed upon such papers
no word has been received indicating that
any stamps will be on hand here to meet
the demands of the public. Everybody
wants to comply with the requirements
of the law, but the means for doing so
may not be at hand. No distribution of
stamps has yet been made and every
thing points to there being no stamps for
sale here for several days. One of the
banks telegraphed yesterday to Collector
Rucker at Atlanta asking whether there
were any stamps there and received word
that they had the proprietary stamps and
l, ? and cent documentary stamps. Later
information from that city, though, shows
that the supply of stamps there has been
exhausted and that none can be had
Manager Maxwell, of the Western Union,
desiring to order stamps to have them in
readiness, wired to the ATLANTA office.
The following reply was received:
mot a stamp to be bought here. Rev
enue office sold two hundred thousand
to-day, all they had viii have more in
q few days"
The outlook accordingly is that Savan-
nah and all the balance of the state ex-
cept Atlanta will in all probability have
to get along without stamps until next
week. Although this means countless vio-
lations of the law, it is not supposed for
an instant that the government would
think of endeavoring TO enforce the PEN
atty prescribed in the act when ii has so
woefuhy failed to make proper provisions
to enable the public to comply with The
law
The internal revenue department has
evidently been unable to secure the nee
essary supply of stamps in the limited
time since the passage OF the Dill. Inc
result
passage of an act by Congress providing
for a brief extension of the time at which
the law was to 90 into effect Business
cannot come to a standstill simply be-
cause the government Is not able to pro-
vide stamps at the time set by Congress.
To protect themselves several business
men have made formal acquisitions on the
deputy collector here for stamps, with
the request that he state on the back of
the requistion why he cannot furnish
stamps if he is unable to meet the order.
The Central and other railroads are I'M
derstood to have done similarly, they
making their demands directly on the col
lector at Atlanta. Having made the effort
10 get stamps they will now proceed with
business as before until such time as
stamps are available. Records will prob
ably be kept of the number of bills of lad
ing issued, etc, so that if the government
should put in a claim il can be easily
satisfied. 1t is the impression that the
banks in the same way will keep a record
of checks passing into their hands which
are unstamped so that any future claims
can be met by the proper parties.
As stated, the law provides for stamps
on all checks. drafts, etc. The person
issuing any such paper must stamp 1t
and then cancel the stamp before 1t leaves
his hands, placing upon its face in ink
the date and his initials. This in itself
will be a considerable annoyance to bus
mess houses issuing large numbers of
checks and drafts.
Deputy Collector Wilson, who has been
in charge of the internal revenue stamp
business here, has received no information
as to when stamps may be looked for.
The only advice that has come to him
is a circular letter received yesterday.
This merely stated that ID is desired TO
give the stamps the widest distribution
possible. and for that purpose drug stores,
cigar stores, hotels, banks, insurance Of
fees, etc. are solicited 30 buy stamps IN
amounts of not less than $100, for resale
on a commission of ! per cent. When
single stamp of the desired denomination
is not to be had, the circular states two
or more others may be used to make the
proper amount to be used.
This circular was issued from Collector
Fuckers office From it the idea might
be. got that Atlanta would be the sole
headquarters for the stamps and that
there would be no general agency here for
distributing purposes. Whether this is
the course that viii be pursued is not
definitely known 1t is probable. anyway,
that the railroads, express company and
banks, using large quantities of stamps,
will order directly from Atlanta, so as to
insure delivery as quickly as possible.
The full text of instructions as received
by Manager Maxwell Of the Western I'm
ion Telegraph Company in reference to the
THE war revenue law requires that on
and after July LIST, under a penalty of
ten dollars, no telegraph company nor
its agents, nor employees, shall transmit
10 any person any dispatch or message
without an adhesive ! cent stamp being
affixed to a copy thereof or stamped there
upon. Exception is made of government
messages, service messages of the tele-
graph company, and messages of the Off
cials and employees of railroad companies
sent only over the wires on their respec-
tive railroads. On and after July LIST, the
following instructions are therefore to be
observed, viz: The senders of each of the
under mentioned classes of business, must
be required to attach l cent documen-
tary revenue stamp thereto before the
message can be accepted for transmission
that is cable messages, fun paid mos
sages, day or night, collect messages.
messages sent under business or half rate
franks. messages sent under compliment
tary franks, messages received by tele-
phone from customers direct. the cost OF
the necessary stamp is to be added to the
. account rendered
Mesa ges Collected an Answer 10 Call
Bells Messengers are to be instructed
to require that stamps shall be placed on
the messages by the customers. unless II
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