The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-25
SAVANNAH'S SHARE OF TAX.
INTERNAL REVENUE RECEIPTS ARE
ALMOST QUADRUPLED.

mentary stamps Bring in Much
MOney-RaiIrOads Pay $1,000 a
| Month on bills of Lading-A cues
tion Raised as TO the Stamp Tax
ON Foreign ship Charters Which
| May Cali for International Discuss
| sion.
| Savannah has contributed its share to
! the expense of Uncle SANS little venture
in Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines
| A statement sent out by the treasury de-
partment recently showed how enormous
/ ly the governments revenues had been in
creased by the war tax bill, the receipts
from internal revenues being larger than
1 for any year since 1869.
While Savannah's contribution would
look very small beside the grand total.
the war tax has been very percepuby
felt here. In round figures the business
men of Savannah have paid in Internal
revenues alene $4,000 more during the
fiscal year now drawing to a close than
they paid during the previous fiscal year.
During the fiscal year of 1878, internal
| revenue stamps to the amount of about
$4,000 were used in Savannah For the
| fiscal year which closes June 50, it is es-
timated that the expenditure here for rev.
enue stamps win fall little If any short
| of $150,OO0 This does not include all that
the people of Savannah have contributed
to the support of the government since
the war began by great deal. A great
| er part of the products upon which stamps
are required were stamped at the place
of manufacture. Then there is no way of
estimating how much revenue the people
of Savannah have contributed to the gov
ernments revenue by means of the tariff,
which catches everybody from the babe
in the cradle to the corpse in the coffin.
One hundred and fifty thousand dollars
simply represents the direct expenditures
at this point for internal revenue stamps.
The increased tax fell more heavily upon
the breweries and their customers than on
any other line of business. About $4,000
of the stamp receipts at this point were
for beer stamps. From 81 a barrel for beer
the tax was increased to 81. A discount.
however, was allowed of 71a per cent. on
the increase, making the revenue tax on
each barrel Of beer S1S715
Next to beer the largest receipts have
been for documentary stamps these being
the stamps required upon deeds, checks,
notes. drafts, bills of lading, and every
| KIM OF commercial paper, lilCiuulfS lele-
grams and express receipts. The receipts
for documentary stamps have amounted
10 about 81 900 per week. The railroads
alone buy about 81 600 worth a month for
bills of lading. Persons who have bought
and sold property since the war revenue
act went into effect have had to pay dearly
for the privilege. The government requires
a 81 stamp for very $1,000 of value of the
properly transferred. Many deeds have
been recorded at The court house with SO
to so of stamps attached and one deed is
known to have had $3.50 of stamps at
tached.
The requirement of 1-cent stamp upon
every bank check, telegram, express re-
ceipt and railroad bill of ladng has been
found very annoying as well as eX-
pensive, feature of the tax act. The bus
mess men claim that the government
receipts from this source do not warrant
The annoyance and inconvenience which
IL causes in business circles, and ii is evi-
dent that a determined effort for the re
peal of this clause viii be made at the
e next session of Congress. The druggists
have bought only about 5000 of stamps
for proprietary medicines. This is be-
cause the medicines are now stamped by
e the manufacturers before being shipped
: from the factories When the act first
went into effect the local dealers had TO
buy stamps as a stamp had TO be affixed
=. to each package before 1t was sold.
. some trouble in local business circles now
5 is the requirement that each charter
party or ships charter must pay tax
e of from So to $40, according to the ton
= mage of the vessel chartered. Local ship
4 brokers making charters on this side
: have had to pay this tax. Brokers hav-
v ing foreign offices have evaded this tax
V by having their charters made on the
, other side, duplicates being forwarded to
4 the brokers and consignees on this side.
$ The internal revenue commissioner has
rendered a recent decision on a case
. brought to his attention from Savannah
: TO the effect that the duplicate received
{ by the consignees on this side must be
[ considered as the original charter so far
p. as the purposes of the act are concerned
= and stamped accordingly. II this de-
cision is made retroactive, the Savannah
;, shippers viii be caught TO the tune of
! about 5000 on charters made on the
s other side during the last season. In in
G terpretations of obscure sections Of the
a tax act, however, the department has
s not made it a rule to make its decisions
retroactive where 1t was evident that the
a law was not understood and that there
: was no intention to defraud the govern
9 ment.
h Capt. d. G.. Purse, as president of the
+ Board Of Trade. has taken this matter uu
with the internal revenue commissioner
n and also the further point as to which du-
Il plicate of the charter shall be considered
: the original for taxing purposes 1t is
r customary to make several copies of these
0 duplicates copy being furnished to the
q broker on this side ana also to the con
v signee, where the broker and consignef
e are separate. The captain of the vessel Il
also provided with a duplicate and the
h rule of maritime trade is that in case OF
n any difference in the terms and conditions
h of the several duplicates that the one held
|. by the captain shall be authoritative. Tbi.
= being the case, Capt. Purse has taker
e the position that the duplicate held by
the captain should be considered the orig.
:. inal for taxing purposes. A decision Il
: this effect would mean that the sblr
d owner would pay the tax and not ths
d charterer on this side The question 4,
t now being considered by the department
r The question is one which affe L, shin
pers at all the American ports and alsc
II the foreign ship owners. The Noryeeiar
V consul at savannah has taken che matte,
1t up with his minister at Washington anI
n II is not unlikely that other consuls vii
IA hn