Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-16
MAKES A DECISION.
Revenue Commissioner Yerkes
Opinion Causes Complaint
STAMPS ON CHECK BOOKS The ISSUE
Decision That Check Books Must Be
Turned in, in Order to Get Rebate
on Stamps Is Not Liked--causes
Extra Expense.

The decision of the commissioner of
internal revenue that check books in
which revenue stamps have been i'm
printed must be turned in in order to
get rebate on the unused stamps, when
of next July has been received in this
city. 1t is believed by bankers to be
an unnecessary hardship. Many of
the banks have finely Autographed
check books, and. in spite of the most
considerable supply left over. If the
internal revenue Office could have
simply have taken these and cancelled
the stamps, returning the books to the
banks for regular use thereafter, it
the dockery law of 1894 was mandate
ry, and Commissioner Yerkes doubt
less had no other course open to him.
Gave Much Trouble.
nection with this order, have given
and cost in the collection of it's reve-
nue.. No other tax is collected so
cheaply as that on bank checks. Even
llie olldll SoSI VI luS duueSlNS SldllpS
in other documentary and proprietary
taxes is here saved, for the banks pay
for their own check-books. and the
stamp is part of the general imprint.
What is more, the agents stationed by
the internal revenue Office with each
contractor who is authorized to print
check-books are paid by the contract
ors. who must in turn assess this cost
81 Is,
Then. the detective work in the case
of this tax costs the government moth
/ ing. The banks themselves see to it
that all the paper passing over their
counters is properly stamped, whereas
in other revenue lines the watchful,
ness of government agents must be
unremitting. In these circumstances
many persons regret that the check
stamps have been removed. 1t is pro
bable that when the government needs
more revenue again, this will be one
of the first things it will reach out for
1t is notable fact that those who
have paid the most for check-stamps
have had the least to say in OPPOSITION
to their continuance; the business in
terests of the country, as whole
have been exceedingly patriotic in
L
| tax. Several commercial bodies vot
ed gdown resolutions asking congress
to repeal the tax. Facts in this line
taken in Connection with which the en-
ergy and thoroness with which the
banks have collected this tax for the
government, at no cost whatever
would afford food for reflection for the
populists, were they looking for any
such thing.
Has Made no Provision.
Congress has made no provision for
paying the claims for rebate on the
tobacco, snuff and cigars in the ware
houses when the new law gees into
effect 1t is expected that there will
be between forty and eighty thousand
such claims, and the reason congress
; made no appropriation therefor wa:
because it has so vague an impression
as to what they would amount to
Claims must be filed within sixty days
. and none for less that ten dollars viii
be considered. Provision has already
been made for refunding taxes illegal
ly collected, and also for the redemp
ton of stamps for which the owner
has no use, but these taxes come un
der neither head. They are really
taxes in process of payment; the to
bacco will be in the warehouses anC
all stamped, but not yet issued into
the trade.