Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1914 — EMERGENCY WAR TAX MEASURE IS GIVEN TO HOUSE [ARTICLE]

EMERGENCY WAR TAX MEASURE IS GIVEN TO HOUSE

BHI Will Be Reported From Committee Today and Taken Up Tomorrow. HOPE TO RAISE $100,000,000 Except for Tax on Beer, Wines and Gasoline, Measure Follows Largely That of the Old Spanish War Levy. Washington. SepL 22 —The administration emergency war tax bill, agreed tipon by the Democrats of the ways and means committee, was introduced in the house by Majority Leader Underwood. The bill will be reported from committee today with a Republican minority report and will be taken up in the house tomorrow. Except for the tax on beer, wines arid gasoline, the bill follows largely that of the old Spanish war tax. It is ex petted to raise at least $100,000,000. A few changes were written in the details of the bill. One provides that in imposing a tax on telegraph messages it shall not be necessary to affix stamps tq the message as under the old Spanish war tax, but that the telegraph companies shall keep records and remit monthly one cent on each message. A one-cent tax also applies to telephone messages, but no tax is levied on messages by telephone or telegraph which do not cost 1-5 cents. The principal taxes under the bill are: ■

Principal Taxes Under Bill. /Beer, ale and fermented liquors of similar kinds. $1.50 a barrel, an increase of 50 cents. Domestic sweet wines, with more than three per cent saccharine, 20 cents per gallon; other domestic wines, including dry wines, two cents. Gasoline and naptha, two cents per gallon. s Bankers, $2 upon each SI,OOO of capital, surplus and undivided profits employed: stock and bond brokers, *SO; pawnbrokers. S2O; commercial brokers. S2O; customs brokers, $lO. Proprietors of theaters and ail amusement places in towns of more than 15,000 population, $100; circuses, SIOO for each state in which there is an exhibit; bowling alleys and billiard rooms. $5 for each alley or table; proprietors of other amusement places, not specifically mentioned, $lO. Dealers in leaf tobacco with annual sales of less than 50,000 pounds. $6; with sales from 50.000 to 100.000, sl2; above 100.000. $24. Dealers selling less than 1.000 pounds are exempt. Ail other dealers not specifically mentioned. i 4,80, and every person handling snuff, cigars or cigarettes is considered a tobacco dealer. Tobacco Manufacturers Tax t^. The tax on manufacturers of tobacco is graded from $6 to $24, according to extent of business. The stamp tax section of the bill will remain operative for approximately one year and i \ repealed on December 31. 1915. This section of the bill is estimated to raise $51,000,000, Courts are foroidden to record documents not stamped and the bill makes evasion of the law a misdopieanor. The hill goeo into effect Whe day following passage, but the tobacco tax takes effect on November 1.