additional evidence that the classification of bullion at the mints and assay offices as between foreign and domestic production is practically correct. The import of gold coin into the United States during the year was Of American gold coin Total....... $1,687,231 14,982, 660 16, 669, 891 The amount of gold coin exported was, of American $5,400,976, and of foreign $10,039,941. Hence a net export of American gold coin of $3,713,745, and a gain by import of foreign coin of $4,942,719. The latter corresponds very nearly with the amount of foreign gold coin deposited at the mints and assay offices during the year, namely, $5,673,565.03. The excess of the foreign coins deposited at the mints over and above the amount registered as imported at the custom-houses may be assumed to have reached this country on the persons of immigrants and travelers. The imports of silver bullion during the year amounted to $4,151,438, reckoned, presumably, at the commercial value of silver. The exports during the same year amounted to $18,693,313, of which $14,217,273 consisted of bullion not bearing the stamp of a United States mint or assay office. The net excess of the exportation of silver bullion over the importation of the same during the year was $14,541,875. The amount of silver bullion other than bars imported into the country was $1,872,628. The imports of silver coin during the year amounted to Foreign... Total...... $13, 178, 589 520, 280 13,698, 869 The exports of American coin were $464,738, of which 8354,848 consisted of trade-dollars. The exports of foreign silver coin were $10,315,918, the total silver coin exported being $10,780,656. The excess of the manifested imports of foreign silver coin over the manifested exports of the same amounted during the year to $2,862,671. The value of foreign silver coins deposited at the mints and assay offices of the United States to be melted amounted to $812,664.51. From this it seems that over 2,000,000 of foreign silver coin remained in the United States during the year. The total imports of silver, including bullion and coin, foreign and domestic, amounted to. $17,850,307 against $29,511,219 exported. The total imports of bullion and coin, gold and silver, during the year amounted to $38,593,656, and the total exports to $72,463,410. WORK OF THE BUREAU. In closing the fourteenth annual report of the Bureau of the Mint, I beg to recur to the expediency referred to in my last annual report, namely, of composing and maintaining the official and clerical staff of the Bureau with special reference to its peculiar requirements, and particularly that promotions be available in the Bureau itself rather than sought outside of it. During the last year the Bureau has been more than once embar rassed by the transfer and promotion of clerks trained to the techni cal work of its own counting-rooms, on account of the limitations of its specific appropriations. In the expert character of the work required at the hands of the essential part of the clerical force, this Bureau is probably unlike any other bureau or division of the Treasury Department. It would not, indeed, be impossible for such conditions tŷ arise as would lead to great difficulty in the performance of the work of the Bureau through the loss of experience personal to a number of those now upon its roll, under the circumstance that no regular course can be followed for the advancement and retention of meritorious clerks. I take pleasure in acknowledging the zeal and fidelity with which the work of this Bureau has been executed by its clerical staff during the past year, especially in the laborious preparation of its two annual reports, namely, the one here submitted, and the Report on the Production of the Precious Metals for the calendar year 1885. In this, as in the latter report, the editorial and statistical labors have been shared with the Computer of Bullion, Mr. E. O. Leech. I am, very respectfully, yours, JAMES P. KIMBALL, REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Washington, D. C., November 1, 1886. SIR: In compliance with the instructions contained in your letter of August 25, 1886, I have the honor to submit the annual report of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886; also, certain additional information concerning the work of this Bureau during the months of July, August, and September of the current fiscal year. In the appendix to the bound volume of this report will be found carefully prepared tables, as follows: Table A. showing the receipts from each specific source of revenue, and the amounts refunded in each collection district, State, and Terri tory of the United States, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886. Table B, showing the number and value of internal-revenue stamps ordered from the office of the Commissioner; the receipts from the sale of stamps, and the number and value of stamps for special taxes, to bacco, cigars, cigarettes, suuff, distilled spirits, and fermented liquors, issued monthly to collectors, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886. Table C, showing the percentages of receipts from the several general sources of revenue in each State and Territory of the United States to the aggregate receipts from the same sources, by fiscal years, from July 1, 1863, to June 30, 1886. Table D, showing the aggregate receipts from all sources in each collection district, State, and Territory of the United States, by fiscal years, from September 1, 1862, to June 30, 1886. Table E, showing the receipts in the United States from each specific source of revenue now taxable, by fiscal years, from September 1, 1862. to June 30, 1886. Table F, showing the ratio of receipts in the United States from specific sources of revenue to the aggregate receipts from all sources, by fiscal years, from July 1, 1863, to June 30, 1886. Table G, showing the returns of distilled spirits, fermented liquors, manufactured tobacco, snuff, cigars, and cigarettes, under the several acts of legislation, and by fiscal years, from September 1, 1862, to June 30, 1886. Table H, showing the receipts from special taxes in the several States and Territories for the special-tax year ended April 30, 1886. Table I. Abstract of reports of district attorneys concerning suits and prosecutions under the internal-revenue laws during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886. Table K. Abstract of seizures of property for violation of internalrevenue laws during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886. COLLECTIONS FOR THE PRESENT FISCAL YEAR. It is estimated that the sum of $118,000,000 will be collected during the current fiscal year from the various sources of internal revenue. In making this estimate, however, this office is much embarrassed by the presence of a new source of revenue, oleomargarine, and the entire absence of any statistical information as to the quantity manufactured, the number of factories engaged in its production, and the number of persons or firms engaged in selling the same as wholesale and retail dealers. It was estimated that the receipts for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886, would be not less than $115,000,000. I am gratified to state that the actual receipts exceeded that sum by $1,902,869.44. COMPARATIVE RECEIPTS FOR THE LAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS. The total receipts from all sources of internal-revenue taxation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886, were $116,902,869.44 as compared with $112,421,121.07 for the year 1885, $121,590,039.83 for the year 1884, $144,553,344.86 for the year 1883, and $146,523,273.72 for the year 1882. The following statements exhibit in detail the amount of internal revenue collected during the past year, and also for the first three months of the current fiscal year, the sources from which the revenue is derived, the States and districts in which the collections were made during the past year, the cost of collection, &c.: INTERNAL-REVENUE RECEIPTS DURING THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS. COMPARATIVE STATEMENT showing the RECEIPTS from the SEVERAL OBJECTS of INTERNAL TAXATION in the UNITED STATES during the fiscal years ended June 30, 1885 and 1886. COMPARATIVE STATEMENT showing the RECEIPTS from the SEVERAL OBJECTS OF INTERNAL TAXATION, &c.-Continued. The quantities of distilled spirits, fermented liquors, manufactured tobacco, snuff, cigars, and cigarettes, on which tax was paid during the last two fiscal years, are as follows: NOTE.-Many detailed tabular statements, omitted for want of space, may be found in the bound volumes of the Commissioner's report. COLLECTIONS BY STATES AND TERRITORIES DURING THE LAST FISCAL YEAR. STATEMENT showing the AGGREGATE COLLECTIONS of INTERNAL REVENUE, by STATES and TERRITORIES, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1885. a Including the Territory of Wyoming. Including the State of Delaware, two counties of Virginia, and nine counties of Maryland. e Including the District of Columbia. d Including the Territory of Idaho. Including the Territory of Dakota. f Including the Territory of Utah. Including the Territory of Arizona. Including the Territories of Alaska and Washington. COST OF COLLECTION. The cost of collection for the past fiscal year, distributed among the different items of appropriation, was approximately as follows: For salaries and expenses of collectors, including pay of deputy collectors, clerks, &c $1,764, 228 87 For salaries and expenses of revenue agents, surveyors of distilleries, 1,834, 688 54 409, 195 97 For expenses of detecting and punishing violations of internal-revenue laws... 42,561 85 For salaries of officers, clerks, and employés in the office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue.. 248,810 05 4,299,485 28 Total...... being about 3.6 per cent. of the amount collected. The cost of collection for the year 1885 was $4,455,430.27, which was about 3.9 per cent. of the collections for that year. GENERAL CONDITION OF THE SERVICE. Examinations of the offices of the several collectors of internal revenue were frequently made during the fiscal year, and it appears from the reports of such examinations that the condition of the service is good. |