Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-12
PROHIBITION DID IT.
Collectors Districts In the South Are
 To Re Abolished. .;

Washington, D. C., October l2- Capt John G. Capers, commissioner of internal revenue has returned from trip to the south, and coincident with the return is well-detined rumor that he contenp!atcs abolishing number of the collection districts there and consolidating them so as to effect a saving of expenses to the government This move has been brought about by the spread of pro hibition in that section of the coun- try. the certain loss of revenue to the government. and the lack of business for collectors of internal revenue and their force of employees.
 According to the report. Georgia and South Carolina are to he consoli- dated in one collection district and al the work placed under Micah Jenkins, the collector at Columbia, $. C., with offices in that city, the Georgia of fees being abolished and the collector there put out of office. After Jan uary 1st. Georgia will be dry. so far as liquors are concerned, while half of the South Carolina counties still sell whiskey under the dispensary law The business in the latter state would exceed that from Georgia. IL is practically admitted that after Jan nary 1st, next, there will be little need of a collector in. Georgia. h the fiscal year 1906, the total collec- ttions of revenue in Georgia were $5a5. 5.0S5. of which S3I2.3S2 came from distilled spirits and $1S4.015 from fermented drinks, leaving almost nothing from tobacco and the few other sources. With these revenues gone the total collections from Georgia would probably amount to less than Sj0.000 a year.
 The commissioner is also said to have in mind the same consolidation for Alabama and Florida. both of which. owing to local option. have practically gone into the prohibition column. although Florida is still wet ter than Alabama. some recent elec- tions having defeated the prohihi- tionists. In that case the headquar- tcrs would he in Florida. Nearly all
 
 past years has been from whiskey and beer. while the principle collections in Florida are the tobacco. and this will remain so.
 Just how far prohibition will affect the revenues of the government the commissioner of internal revenue has no idea at this time If is thought that the amount will not he large so long as prohibition is confined to the south. where the distilleries and brew. cries have been of small value com pared to the gigantic concerns in west ern and northern states paying the government millions of dollars a year. Should. however. the sweep of prohi- ition reach into territory where mil- lions of dollars are collected each year the government would begin to feel the pinch and be compelled to de- wise ways and means for taxation on other commodities to make up the difference.
 Tp to the present time prohibition has not dwindled the receipts of the government in the least. The ron sumption of whiskey and beer have largely increased each fiscal year. un- til the receipts from these two items in the last fiscal year. closed June al. last. amounted to S21aan4.T11. out of a total revenue of S66S. on n)0. about one-third of the income of tEe government.
 The internal revenue bureau has nO faith in the effectiveness of prohi- hition. 90 that is a matter that does not concern them. There is generally some joyous smiling and laughing. though. when licenses are issued 10 sell whiskies in prohibition statps. notably to the drug stores of Kansas. which are now said to he fiourishing as never before.
 The only thing against carrying out a program of consolidation of southern states into new districts for inc next year or so lies in the fact that to do 90 would hn to abolish much nf the political machinery by which ibe administration expects to control the southern vote in the next national convention As Captain CsRerS is enc nf -the administration leaders in southern polities he night hesitate if tOo ezrlr zetion of 2 consolidating na- tEre. GeoTzis must be bTonsht into Ifna ia the next eonveation and the collector of internal revenuz If thzt state and hts force af men have here tofore -heea important factors in e.