Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-04-20

was any effort made on the part o
the warehousemen, on the untaxe
and natural leaf, to defraud tn
/ Government by manufacturing ant
selling surreptitiously. On page s.
of the hearings referred to befor
the Ways and Means Committee
Mr.. Yerkes, speaking Of this yer.
measure, says: Il do not think tina
it would materially injure the rev
enue of the Government. ! do moi
think that it would materially affecl
the proper enforcement of the rev
enue law, and / believe that il
would give relief to the tobacco
growers.
Again, on page AZ, Mr.. Yerkes, in
speaking of this restriction of which
we complain, says: Eyes; that
ruling has been enforced for mum
Der of years, and am frank to adj
NIT that it is, perhaps, too rigid
Again, on page 46 of the same
hearings, the Chairman of the COM
mittee asked Mr.. Yerkes this ques-
ton: HE sells his tobacco just as
man sells his wheat, hay, or oats?"
Mr.. Yerkes: eyes, except for the
one limitation. am frank to admit
that it is not a necessary limitation,
perhaps, made by the regulations of
the Bureau under the statutes re-
curing him to sell directly himself.
The candor, efficiency, and disin-
terested zeal in the public service of
the present Revenue Commissioner
is unquestioned. His opportunity to
judge with absolute accuracy, both |
as to the necessity Of this restriction
upon the sale Of leaf tobacco and its
effect upon this business is unique.
He is certainly the best authority
upon this subject, and he unequivo
cally declares that this onerous reg
ulation is both unnecessary to the
protection of the revenues of Il e
Government and an unwise and on
erous burden upon the producers of
this staple.
AS to the second objection, tie
same excellent authority, after ex-
haustive investigation. explicitly dis
poses of it in way to satisfy the
and since the whole ma
,hinery by which this revenue is
collected comes under the clear and I
Jigilant supervision of this Commits |
'ioner, am sure his findings will
not an can not be questioned. But
very lsttle of the revenue from the
sale of tobacco accrues to this Gov I
eminent from smoking and plug to-
Oacco, even in the form of twist.
If all the relief which the growers
Of tobacco ask should be granted, 7
and they should be allowed to sell it r
not only in the natural leaf, but in
the twist, Mr.. Yerkes estimates that
the revenues Of the Government
would not be affected to exceed the
sum of $4,000 per annum. He is :
equally certain that the passage of 4
the bill which is now before your
honorable committee would not
affect the revenues of the Govern
ment at all.
On page 48 of of the hearings re-
ferred to Mr.. Gaines, of Tennessee,
asked Mr.. Yerkes this question ire
ferring to the sale of leaf tobacco; l.
"How much revenue do you get
from that particular way of selling
tobacco?" Mr.. Yerkes: 81 would |
say, about nothing" On page So
of the same hearings Mr.. Yerkes
says, after explaining that revenues
would not be affected: Il believe
SAAe'O JON SebiA = clilJ 1SlACl ny LlldI dN-
enue that would be of great benefit
to the producers"
On Feb. 3, 1904, Mr.. Yerkes, in a
strong communication directed to
Mr., Gaines, in which he explains in
detail the present law, the differ
ence between the conditions now ex-
listing under the Wilson bill and the
status of the grower under the Nc
Kinley acts, and in discussing the
sales Of leaf tobacco and the effect
of the eale of the natural leaf upon
the revenues of the Government
uses this explicit language No tax
accrues to the Government on ac-
count Of such sales" (See 2266,
Congressional Record, Feb. %,
19O4.)
AS to the possibility of this tobac-