Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1917 — EXCESSIVE TAX ON NEWSPAPERS. [ARTICLE]

EXCESSIVE TAX ON NEWSPAPERS.

Congress seems to have it in for the newspapers and magazines of the country notwithstanding the fact , that they have made, in most cases, the congressmen what they are, and in drafting the war thx bill publications have come in for an unjust share. In referring to this discrimination the Lafayette Journal says: \ Congress is endeavoring to frame a war revenue bill that is calculated to produce S 1.800.00k.000 to meet the expense of our first year’s participation in the European war. Naturally the burden will fall heavily upon' business interests of every character and there have been vigorous protests against alleged inequalities, and predictions of disaster for certain industries if the proposed tax is not reduced. The Journal believes that the publishers of the country should bear their just proportion of the a-

war tax and has not protested, with | ized the utterances of many news-] papers, when discussing the injus-; tice that is being meted to news- 1 papers. That which cannot be cured must' be endured, but for the information I o* our» readers ‘we desire to call attention to a few things that will i be of interest to them a little later [ when a great many publicaions will be compelled to increase' their rates 1 or suspend publication. | ■The .newspapers,, and magazines! as well,, are directly taxed no least than five times by the war revenue bill that jvill be enacted within *a ■ day or f wo. First, there is- the ,tax; of -10 per cent that is to be levied! on paper at a time when prices' have nearly doubled as a result of shortage. ’ This tax alsp covers every ' other Item, of manufacture, except labor. Next may be mentioned thp corporation . tax, then the tax On profits, if there are any. 'Next comes the tax bn advertising, and last, but by no means least, i3< the increase in postage rates. . Not content with providing an j increase- in postage,, the ways and ■ means committee has figured out j a plan that makes it impossible j’or publishers to transact, business with any degree of satisfaction, through the medium of a progressive increase in postage rates. For instance, effective July 1. the rate will be 11-6 to 2 2-3 cents per pound, based upon the parcel post zones of distance. . Five months-later the rate rises to 11-3 to 4 1-3 cents, and five months after that another increase becomes effective, making the rate lu, to 6 cents a pound. Seemingly congress cannot comprehend that the newspaper and magazine, subscrintioh business is based upon a yearly contract,' in most instances, and unlike merchandise the price cannot be changed every few days to meet new conditions. Subscription prices, have become largely fixed in the public mind, and the public, which will - pay increased prices for other commodities without much protest, is affronted when subscription rates are increased. One of the best selling magazines was recently compelled to increase its price to meet increased costs of production and news stand sales immediately dwindled kb-almpst nothing. Many publications that could manage to go along without raising prices under the postage that becomes effective July 1 will be compelled to ask more when November 1 arrives, and some that could stand even that raise will be unable to continue at the old price, after the first of March. No doubt many magazines will be compelled to suspend publication. and a glance at the news stands lends strength to the belief that a considerable number of them i could be spared without material j detriment to the public, whatever

the , hardship endured by the publisher. . -r But we arfe firmly of the belief that the news of, the people should not be unduly burdened by taxation. Newspapers „'<}o not make profit on subscriptions and whatever tax is levied should logically be placed upon -the advei;tisipg pages.- . The difficulty of adjusting subscription rates to meet the constantly changing schedules and the injustice of five different taxes upon one line of bu sin ess at the very ■ beginning of, the war should be so self-evident that reasonable men wotild. repudiate even the suggestion of such a thing. !