The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-12
Prohibition Wave NH Cause Cutting Down of Revenue
 Officials
RED|STRICTING PLAN WILL
 AFFECT ALABAMA OFFICES
Birmingham Is Likely to Lose Office of Internal Revenue Collector and Many Other Southern
 Officials May Go.

Washington, October 1t.-(Special.) )-The advance of prohibition in the southern states will in all probability lead to @ consolidation of internal revenue districts. The commissioner of internal revenue stated that while he had not fully deter mined the matter. he may make reeom- mendatons to the President along this line, and was now gathering data for his information. In any event the propos- ton will strike terror to internal revenue forces in the south, as about one-half the collectors would have to go. and no me- cesslty would remain for the retention of many of the subordinates
 An important phase of the matter. how ever, and one which may have the effect of preventing such a consolidation with in the next year is the political power of collectors, deputies, storekeepcrs and gaugers in controlling the delegates to the national convention. Adding to this the personal pull of the collectors, such a change could not be accomplished for over a year, but that it will eventually come is the belief of internal revenue of- fcers
 Small Collections.
 In discussing the matter today an of- ficial of the bureau called attention to the comparatively small collections in cer- tain southern states and the probasnlitv that prohibition would in the Aext few years greatly decrease this figure. For in- stance, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas com prise six separate districts. With the ex- ceptlon Of Florida, which contributes Sl ,000,0oO annually, none of them collect over s7O0O00.
 Alabama collects about s440,0o0 and Arkansas a little over $100000. The of- ficlals therefore, are inclined to believe that the two last named states should be placed in some other districts, the pres ent idea being to place Alabama and Flor ida In one district, and Georgia with South Carolina in another This would throw out of office Collector Joe Thonp- son of Birmingham and Collector Ruil<er of the Georgia district, well as dis pensng with the services of number of their employees.
 Commissioner Capers would have noth- ing to say concerning the matter today further than that he is securing all tine data possible on the subject, but had taken no official action. It being Il mat ter for the President to decide. Just now far prohibition will affect the revenue of the government the com missioner Of in terrAl revenVe has no idea at this time. 1t is thought that the amount will not be large so long as prohibition is confined to the south, where the distilleries and breweres have been of small value eonl- pared to the gigantic hconcerns in western and northern states. paying to the gpv- ernment millions of dollars year.
 Pinch of Proh ibition.
 Should. however, the sweep of prohlbi- ton reach into territory where millions of dollars are collected each year the gov ernmcnt would begin to feel the pinch and be compelled to devise ways and means for taxation on other commodities to make I'D the deficiency. When that point is reached, and prohibition advocates say 1t will be reached, the government would have to recoup itself by taxes along the line of the Spanish war revenue act. whose burdens fell upon the middle and poorer classes of the people An income tax would be the only fair substitute, but under republican rule that Is an im- possibility, even admitting that the Uni- ted States supreme court Is now so con stltuted that 1t would revise its decision declaring an income tax unconstitutionai.
 After a three-months' trip abroad, Ser- ator Bacon is in Washington tonight en route home The Georgia senator in that time has not changed his belief that tho proper course for the democratic party to pursue Is to nominate a southern man for President, and if necessary go down with hlm voting for democratic principles and man who represents them. W.S.