Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1897 — NATION IS SUPREME. [ARTICLE]

NATION IS SUPREME.

POSTMASTERS* SALARIES ARE EXEMPT FROM TAXATION. State* or Municipalities Cannot Le<alljr Fix the Emolument of Federal Servant*-Retail Trade and Manufacturing Is Aided by Colder Weather Nice Point Decided. The issue as to whether a State or municipality can levy an income tax on the salary or compensation of a postmaster, a subject of broad interest to the Federal service generally, was decided in an opinion rendered by Acting Assistant Attorney General Harrison J. Barrett for the Postoffice Department at Washington. The case arose on an inquiry from the poetmaster at Gastonia, N. C. It held that » State has no authority to tax the emoluments paid to any officers or agents which the United States may use and employ as necessary and proper means to execute Ms sovereign power. Mr. Barrett says: “The Government of the United States is supreme within its sphere of actioixjftn’l any act of State or municipality which attempts to tax the emoluments paid to the officers of the Government is unconstitutional and void. If the power existed in a State to tax the officers or agents of the Government it could thereby impair the power of the United States in the execution of its sovereignty.” Cold Weather Helps Trade. R. G. Dun & Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade says: “Colder weather has done much to accelerate retail trade, so greatly delayed in many lines by unusually mild and open weather. The production increases on the whole, and many manufacturers are unable to take all the offers, while others are committed as far ahead as they are willing to be. Failures for the week have been 2G7 in the United States, against 334 last year, and 32 in Canada, against 40 last year.” Bradstreet’s says: “There is a moderate improvement in staple prices and in distribution of woolen goods, shoes, hats and hardware in the region tributary to Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Omaha. Higher prices are recorded for wheat, corn, oats, sirup, hides, leather, shoes and for turpentine. The total exports of wheat (flour included as wheat) from both coasts of the United States and from Montreal this week aggregate 6,(153,792 bushels, against 5,445,542 bushels last week. Corn exports also show a gain aggregating 3.209,790 bushels for' the ■week, against 2,975,721 last year.”