Evening star., 1914-08-16
reserve banks in New York. Chicago and
st. Louis probably would be organized
Not Advised to Hold Crops.


Not Advised to Hold Crops.
Secretary Houston has requested pub
lication Of an announcement that the De-
partment of Agriculture had sent no COM
muncatlon or advice whatever to farm
ers throughout the country cOunse!1ng
them to hold their crops.
While customs revenues are consid-
erably below receipts tor the same
at the average rate OF about s75o,o00
in daily receipts. This would not be
SO bad II continued indefinitely and
would assure revenues sufficient. even
II far short Of last years receipts. A
vast shortage was anticipated and
a tariff for revenue only.
But this rate Of income will not
hold, If the war keeps up. A great
part Of the daily receipts are from i'm
remained there Indefinitely had not the
failure of importations curtailed sup
ply. The warehouse reserve stock will
not last indefinitely. As soon as this
is exhausted In any one direction, then
the shrfnkage in revenues from customs
will take on an alarming aspect It is
this situation that Is to be anticipated
by legislation
War revenue legislation, from June 49,
1898. to June 30. 1904 period of a little
81, I64.61. This was divided as follows
Receipts to July l. 1898, $3 40 44251; for
the fiscal year 1899. $1Oe. .359, ,6lS.36:. for
the fiscal year 1900. sos. .374 2227 90: for the
fiscal year 1901. $107. .646, 213.O5: for the
fiscal year 1902. under modification of
the war measures. SCI, ,5S1 .262 so
Shortage of $1OO, ,Ooo, 600 Faced.
As far as is indicated by superficial
inspection of customs figures there ap-
pears likely to be a shortage for the year
OF approximately s1OO, 100000 under esti-
mates. The war measures adopted dur
ing the Spanish-American war. as indi-
Gated by the figures here quoted, raised
Just about that sum annually during the
three years they were in full force
ihese war revenue measures placed
tax on documents, proprietary medi-
cineS. IegacieS and special taxes on the
business of bankers brokers, pawn
brokers. theaters and other amuse-
ments The internal revenue tax was
increased on beer. tobacco, snuff,
cigars. cigarettes. mixed -four and the
creased
The tax on documents and the extra
tax on beer were the great revenue
producers under the war legislation,
hetween them they easily provided
more than twO-thirds of the annual
receipts, in equal proportions almost,
with documents doing a little the best
Iopacco produced more than half the
remaining revenues, with proprietary
medicines producing a third as much
about the same as special tax reye-
nues.
For the year 1901 documents pro-
duced revenue of s34,s94.S3630: beer,
on surtax. s34. 1856 tobacco, s17,-
s4e;i ioZ;ss, and proprietary medicines,
$4,242,200.02: special tax s4,463,629
Other items of revenue We're: Snuff,
$l,001. 01.510.66: cigars, $3,46256O62: ciea-
rettes, S1,1S9.079.63; excise tax, s1,O27,-
294.99: mixed flour, S6,606.36, and addi-
tional taxes collected on tobacco and
beer, $6,977.s1.
Biggest Business in Spirits.
The internal revenue statement for the
month of May. this year indicates that
the biggest business is being done in
spirits. with S1Os12. 1906 in receipts for
the month. Tobacco in every form is
next general classification in the order Of
revenue production, yielding Sc, 442 $50 81
Fermented liquors produced during May
revenue of S5945,O1S.7 II: oleomargarine,
S45. 800. 50. and miscellaneous, including
mixed flour, S91 ,19. o.
Spirits other than those from apples,
peaches and grapes produced nearly all
the revenue under the general classical
tion of spirits, or $10,557 $685. .66 Under
the general classification of tobacco, the
items of larger receipts are: Manufac-
tured tobacco of all kinds. 81. 5O7. is;
cigarettes weighing not more than three
pounds a thousand, 81 ,563. .622 4S; snuff,
S2S1 .5JO64. A barrel tax on beer pro-
duced nearly all of May revenues from
fermented liquors, adding s., 933 1929 to
the treasury.
All these items stood a surtax under
the Spanish war revenue measures. 1t
Is from these sources that any special
taxation measure would expect to gain
revenues. added to new taxes on pro-
priety medicines and documents etc,
as shown to be a profitable source of
revenue under the former measure.