The evening times., 1899-07-31
THE REVENUE FROM TOBACCO.
A Valuable Item in the Taxes of All
G0ye-nments
(From the New York SUM-

(from the New \ ork sun rs
The fact is well known that in four
European countries-France Austria, Italy,
Spain-the tobacco trade is a Government
monopoly, the tobacco being imported, or,
If domestic tobacco exclusively sold to
the Government to be in turn retailed by
it at profit somewhat in the same way
that postage stamps are sold. The French
revenue from tobacco is nearly 400, 900 900
francs year, or about $50, 900. The
revenue from the Italian tobacco monopoly
was 1SS,000,000 lire last year. or, about
S37 500, ,00O 1t is impossible to state with
exactness the revenue of the Spanish Gov
ernment from its tobacco monopoly this
year, but in other years it has been put
at about 1Oo, 600 pesetas, or $40, 600, 900,
though the loss during the past year of the
two chief tobacco producing colonies of
Spain, Cuba and the Philippines, may not
uni eaSonably be supposed to be a reason
for the falling off in revenue from this
source, as the purchase of tobacco by the
Spanish Government henceforth will be in
an open market and not under conditions
distinctively favorable to the Government
as sovereign.
Though all countries do not maintain
tobacco monopoly, there are few civilz zed
Governments which do not derive a consid-
cradle measure of their financial support
from taxes laid upon tobacco In some way
or other. Thus, for instance, the customs
duties on tobacco imported into England
amount to 55,000000 year, which is
nearly as much as France derives from its
complicated and cumbrous control of the
sales of tobacco in the French Republic
Russia imposes tobacco taxes which yield
constantly increasing revenue, the figures
being 35,000,000 paper rubles for 1896. Ger
many derives large revenue from its to-
h1n coll md fro
on tobacco, Germany being one of the
countries in which the use of tobacco Is
most general, following in this partcula-
Belgium, Brazil, and Turkey, the three
great tobacco using countries.
When 1t comes to revenue of a public
character from tobacco, Uncle Sam, though
making no pretences to any Government
monopoly of this style, is not much behind
some other countries, and is far ahead of
most Of them, with every present indication
of a further large increase from tobacco
revenues in Cuba and Manila in the future.
During the fiscal year of 1897, before the
imposition OF the revenue war taxes, SO
called, the Treasury receipts from the tax
on the sale OF cigars We're $12,1S9, ,000 ana
last year they were s13, 3,600, ,00O The tax
has now been increased so cents per thous-
and, and the estimated revenue from this
source this year is SIG, 100000. There is
also dnOtner item OF TOBACCO revenue for the
Federal Government in the tax upon che
roots, or small cigars, which amounts to
about 100000 a year, and under the in
crease of 90 per cent in the taxes of man
ufactured tobacco and snuff, this brings
up the total from that item to s27, SOC, 600,
exclusive of $5,000000 tax collected from
cigarettes, the whole years tax being repre-
ssnted by the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue at s48.S5 600 for last year.
This is a large item of revenue. but It
does not exhause the benefit which the
Government derives from tobacco taxes.
being such only as are imposed, by the In
ternal Revenue Department and exclusive
OF those levied by the Treasury Department
at the custom houses. The simportations
of leaf tobacco into the United States for
the ten months ending May. i, 1899, were
to the value of $500. 900, and cigars and
cigarettes to thep value of $f509000 were
imported. The general rate Of tax on
tobacco Is 35 cents pound, and when the
revenues from the custom house are added
to those Of the Internal Revenue. Depart
ment 1t is seen that the proceeds OF to-
bacco taxes In the United States, are GER
tainly as large collectively, as those inn
posed in England, and probably exceed
them, too, to some extent. It, is esti-
mated that the collective taxes of all
Governments on tobacco amounts to $780,
000, 900 in q year.