Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 247, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1919 — TAX EXPERTS LOSING SLEEP [ARTICLE]

TAX EXPERTS LOSING SLEEP

“When Is a Girl a Miss?” Is Puzzling Bureau of Internal Revenue. The other day Lew Hahn, executive secretary of the National RetalL Dry. Goods association, took the joy out of life for the experts of the bureau '>f Internal revenue when he asked whether corsets were underwear. Now he lias gone 'and done it again, the query this time being: “When does a girl become a miss?” Framers of the new revenue tax law included in the list of taxables “women’s and misses’ wearing apparel.” Experts of the bureau, Mr. Hahn says, have informed retailers that no tax is to be collected on wearing apparel for Sfrirls. . Retailers say there are hundreds and humlreds-of misses.. they can still wear, and therefore buy, girls’ clothes. Does the fact that such articles of clothing are to be worn by women of mature years change the nature of the apparel in the eyes of the law; or do garments designed for girls remain girls’ wear, regardless of the age of those who buy and wear them? This is the puzzle Mr. Hahn has put up to the bureau experts.