Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-22
Treasury Department Gives
Sanction to Reopening
Revenue Agency Here
KIRKPATRICK GETS
LETTER FROM GATES
Acting Commissioner Tells
Ottumwan That Service
Will Begin May |

The reopening of the stamp ONCE in
'Ottumwa, an accommodation to the
business men of this city and vicinity
that is considerable, is to be made ef-
fective May 1.
This information came in a letter to
SAINT Kirkpatrick, former congressman
from the sixth district, who has with
Secretary j. N. Weidenfeller of the
Commercial club, kept after the pro-
ject almost continuously since the rev.
enue stamp Office ceased to be here
several months ago.
The history of the removal Of the
stamp Office and the efforts to get it
restored covers many months and has
been discouraging for failure has at
tended nearly every effort put forth by
the various forces that have striven
with the treasury department Of the
United States to got the service re-
stored here.
The need for such an ONCE here Is
evident enough when 1t is considered
that Ottumwa is one of the biggest
cigar making centers in all OF Iowa
and many millions Of cigars are manu-
factured here each year. The stamps
alone amonts to several thousand dol
lars in revenue collections annually
with perhaps as much collected from
the various other types of stamps,
documentary, proprietary, etc, that
will be handled when the Office is es-
tablished 1t is expected that the re-
opening Of the Office here will lead to
purchases of stamps being made here
by other towns and cities that have
to do as Ottumwa has had to do for
some months past-send away for it's
stamps.
Henry Glenn is Deputy.
Henry Glenn. cashier for the Farm
ers and Merchants bank, will be stamp
deputy or revenue agent, having
charge OF the stamps and will handle
them at the bank, Mr.. Glenn is well
known having been formerly county
treasurer, and later with the First
National bank before the opening Of
the Farmers and Merchants bank.
The stamp office was removed from
Ottumwa July 1, 1915. About month
prior to that date, the attention of the
Commercial club was called to the
matter and the association az we'll as
citizens wrote Commissioner Osborne
in an effort to have the ONCE retained
here. The letters were unavailing
Secretary Weidenfeller then took the
matter up with Postmaster G. w. Nc
Carty who was willing to handle the
stamps but needed extra help to take
care of the additional work and this
was denied him. Furthermore the
two departments, postoff1ce and treas
ury, operate under separate manage
ments and the arrangements could not
be made.
About the first Of the year SAINT
Kirkpatrick became interested In the
project and began to communicate
with the commissioner Of internal
revenue and the treasury department.
Letter followed letter and the Wash
ington authorities were shown that
the collections here would Justify the
reopening Of the office as is promised
in the following letter to Mr.. Kirkpat-
rick:
Treasury Department,
Washington, D. c.,
April 1S, 1915.
Hon. Sanford Kirkpatrick,
Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ny dear Mr.. Kirkpatrick:
Replying to your letter Of the 14th
instant, you are respectfully advised
that 1t has been decided to reestab-
lish the stamp Office at Ottumwa and
the collector of the district will be in
formed that an allowance at the rate
Of 5000 per annum will be provided for
the compensation of the stamp dep
uty 1t will be suggested that he as
certain whether an employe in one Of
the local banks will take the position.
Referring to the other matter men
toned by you, II you will send in the
name Of the person you desire to have
employed as a form 10 man 1t Is
thought that his employment can he
authorized, effective May l, 1916.
Please also state the address Of the
person referred to-.
Respectfully