New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-31
CANCELLING REVENUE STAMPS.
A BIG TASK FOR OFFICIALS OF THE BU-
REAU AT WASHINGTON.
Try TELEGRAPH To THE TRIpUxE.I

Try TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE.l
Washington, May 30.-The Commissioner OF In
ternal Revenue will in few days begin the WORK
of cancelling the documentary stamps imprinted
some two hundred and fifty tons Of bankers
drafts, checks etc, which have been sent in Tor
redemption under the provisions OF the act OF
March. 1901. reducing the war revenue taxes Forty
clerks and laborers have been constantly engaged
since early last fall in receiving these instruments
and preparing them for destruction or cancella-
ton and the task promises to last time espe-
cially if a bill pending in Congress becomes a
law. Under the provisions of the original act I'M
used documentary and proprietary stamps have TO
presented for redemption within two years of
the date of purchase. and under that bill the
Treasury Building has been overwhelmed. since
claims low 81 be filed. The pending Dill
extends the redemption period two years from the
date of its passage. Congress made no specific ap-
preparation for the redemption of these stamps,
providing for the payment of the claims out OF
any moneys otherwise appropriated, but the
Treasury officials have found the problem a per-
picking Packages of imprinted drafts and
checks weighing from a few up to eight
hundred and thousand pounds began to roll into
the Treasury Building from all quarters OF the
country In d short time all available storage
room filled. Then the packages were piled
along the corridors. When 1880 packages. weigh
ing over two hundred tons. had been stacked up in
what ought to have been open space the ofhcia i
that further stacking up of this dead weight on
the upper floors would be dangerous, and the
The stamps will be cancelled by perforation
hole the diameter of lead pencil will be punched
through the centre of the imprinted stamps and the
checks and drafts Will be returned to the owner II
desired. Some claims sent in by large banking
institutions insurance companies and other cor
Porations aggregated as much as 5000 Many
banking institutions declined TO send in their checks
and drafts. They preferred TO lose the two cents
imprinted each one rather than risk the mutila-
ton of checks and drafts handsomely engraved and
printed safety paper at a cost OF to 10 cents
each. The greatest trouble in connection with this
having stamps worth only few dollars. who expect
send them in by train and receive remit
tances by the next A lawyer in a Western city
sent the bureau 30 cents worth of 2-cent docu-
mentary stamps and asked that a warrant be
forwarded for their redemption. New England
buying documentary stamps; that she had three
twos, tours and several of smaller denomina-
ton and would like to have the best terms for
their purchase. Several other enterpristng indlvid-
uas sent In small consignments OF old civil war
stamps issued under law which was repealed
of the last issue in for redemption. The 500.
$500 and 900 documentary stamps were sold reg
istered that the government officials could keep
track of their purchasers They were engraved with
as much care a banknote, and were handsome.
Collectors have made every endeayor TO get specl-
tions and would gladly pay fancy figures for those.
which the Treasury will burn like much waste
paper.
The expense of redeeming the unused docu-
mentary stamps scattered throughout the coun-
try July l. 1901 will be upward of $1,000 600 This
can be examined and allowed. The experts who
examine the imprinted stamps, all OF them women.
count them the rate Of thirty thousand sheets a