Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1879 — Internal Revenue Report. [ARTICLE]

Internal Revenue Report.

The following is an abstract of tha annual report of United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue Raum: There has been an increase in receipts from Internal revenue during last year, but it is small in comparison with the increase in revenues from customs. The reduction of the tobacco tax caused a loss of over $2,250,OUO during the three months It whs in force, which would indicate a decrease of about S7.<WU,OOO on this account during the year. Twelve million pounds more of’ tobacco were produced In this country last year than during 1878; IM.OQo,O>X) more cigars were manufactured, while the importation of Cignrs fell off 1.250.00 J. The total amount of collections from tobacco in all its forms, including internal revenue tax on imported tobacco, snuff and cigars, Hnd special tuxes paid by manufacturers of and dealers in leaf and manufactured tobacco for the fiscal vear ended June 30. 1879, was $40,135,008. As compared with the total receipts from the same source for the preceding fiscal year, this , shows an increase of $43,847. There was a large increase during the year of production of spirits, the aggregate amount produced in 1«'.9 Ix-ing over 17,000,000 gallons more than in 1878. The increase in thcuinount of spirits imported was also large, being over 9.000.000 gallons in excess of exports in 1878. The bulk of the spirits exported in both fiscal years(lß7B and 1879> was alcohol produced in the northern part of Illinois, Shipped on foreign-bound vessels at New York, and consigned to Marseilles, France. In the exportation of spirits, having really trebbled in amount during the year 1879, as compared with the year 1878, it is apparent that the increase in such exportations hns kept pace with that of other American products. The quantity of spirits withdrawn from distillery warehouses for export during the year was 14,837,731 gallons. The-receipts from distilled spirits for the year 1879, as .compared with 1878, show an increase of $2,149,468. It is anticipated that the exportations of such spirits during the current fiscal year will be still greater than those made during tho fiscal year ending June 31,1879. Regarding the production and movement of distilled spirits during the first four months of the present fiscal year, the report says: “ It shows that the foreign demand of last year is steadily maintained, while the production is 2,794,118 gallons greater than for the corresponding period or last year, and the withdrawal 2,968,950 greater than for the same period last year. If the business of these four months is maintained during the balance of the fiscal year, which is scarcely to be credited, the production will be over fe, 000,000 gallons, and the amount of tax received will bo over $45,756,030." The Commissioner predicts that the receipts from Internal Keverng? taxes will during the present fiscal year reach $115,000,000. During the year ended June 70, 1879, $113,449,621 of Internal Revenue taxes were collected and paid into the Treasury. \ Tber*ab>'?re during the year 5,448 distilleries registered, and 5,347 operated. During the special-tax year ended April 30, 1879, there were 49,464.421 proof gallons of spirit * rectified. The quantity of spirits (19,212,470 gallons) actually remaining in warehouses Juno 30, 1879, is the quantity as shown by the original gauge of each package. Almost the entire increase (9,354,989 gallons) in the quantity of spirits exported In 1879 consisted of those varieties which had been subjected to several processes of distilling, redistilling, and refining before being deposited id the distillery warehouses. The increased production of spirits is distributed among all the different varieties known to the trade except highwines, which decreased 1,379.3 tl gallons. The taxes paid on spirits withdrawn from warehouses during the year 1879 aggregate $46,778,342. The receipts from fermentea liquors for the year 1879 are shown to have increased s7Stt,26B over those of 1878. During the last three years and four months, 3,117 illicit distilleries have been seized, G. 363 persons arrested for Illicit distilling, and 27 officers und employes killed and 48 wounded while engaged in enforcing tho Internal Revenue laws. During the last sixteen months 32J81 persons have been arrested and 1,495 stills seized, 5 officers have been killed and 29 wounded.

The total cost of collecting the revenue for the year was $4,206,Ki0, being 3 7-10 per cent, upon the amount collected. Accompanying the report is a detailed statement showing the amount collected in each district, from which it appears that the largest amount waa collected in the First Ohio District, $10,8.3,450. The First Illinois contributed $8,280,978; the Fifth Illinois, $6,50,170. The smallest amount, $4,020, was collected in the Third Texas District. During the past three fiscal years, $313,099,000 Internal Revenue taxes were collected and paid into the Treasury. The average cost of Collecting, including saiaries and the expenses of the Internal Revenue Bureau, was 33( per cent. The total amount expended through Collectors Of Internal Revenue for Information leading to the discovery of frauds nnd punishment of guilty persons was $95,506. During the year thirty-five revenue agents have been ir-lapd. and ,hcir to,al expenses have been A detailed statement of their work shows (fee value of property seized on information of revenue agents to be $280,944. The amount of uncollected taxes and penalties reported to collectors by revenue agents waa $880,616. The total amount realized by tax on capital and deposits of banks and bankers during the fiscal year ended June 30 was $3,480,913, and for the fecal vear of 1879 $3,184,979, a decrease of $3(0,984. A statement of capital and doposits of savings banks and banks and bankers otherthan National banks, shows an aggregate of $195,290,513 invested In Government bonds, against $158,882,801 reported last year. The total value of property seized during the year °i the Internal Revenue laws was $524445. The total number of suits pending July- 1, 1879, for a violation of the Internal Revenue laws was 119340. During the year 4JWO suits have been settled, decided, or dismissed, and the amount recovered by the Government on judgments and from compromises accepted has been $802,518. The total value of internal Revenue stamps issued during tho rear, $129,555,635. The table of assessments during the year 1879 shows a total of * 4^ 6 ’' 6B, a decrease since 1878 of $570,650. xriq expenses for the next fiscal year are SfrJnm at •L<BB,COO, being an increase of °, V *T the past year. For salaries of omcers, clerks and employes of the bureaus iffn ?. ear ~^ h ,® Commissioner adding that It will be wholly impracticable to reduce the force in any particular without material Injury to the, public service. In addition to the bureau proper there are connected with the various districts throughout the United States 126 collectors, 860 deputy collectors, 179 clerks, messengers and janitors, l 1 * 3 * tor «koepers and 51 tobacco