The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-01-03

[Fsum the Union Adverteser.I
Wy Grecer's Way Of Doing Business.
Furnishing simple rule rhereby amy per
son may estimate the amount Of money
annually prid to account Of tares, Under
our Isfernal Rerenue System.
GospoRT, December 26, 1867.
MEssRs. EDITORS calling at gro
Gerry store the other day, Iasked, "Have
you any kerosene oil for sale !" "fes,
sir, first rate article at 20 cents per
gallon" was the grocer's reply. Being
surprised at the low price of the article,
/ requested permission to examine it,
which being granted, was perfectly
satisfied it was the genuine article, and
ordered my gallon can filled, with as
surance from the grocer that i should
have all / wanted at those figures.
"Have you fine cut chewing tobacco n
Inquired. eyes," was the reply, 80
fine article at 80 cents per pound" l
examined the tobacco, and finding it as
good as recommended, ordered q pound.
"Anything more" said the grocer.
"No," said l, and handing him so cents
fractional currency-just the sum
charged for the two articles-started
for the door. "Hold on" says the gro
Ger; "you have forgot that you have
paid me in deprecated money" every
WE'LL" said l, returning, all the time
thinking my articles cheap at that,
show much more will it require to make
my money good 7" After figuring a
moment, he says, at will take just 20
cents more to make it good'-gold be-
ing worth l 40 (at which price it will
be considered in all calculations in this
a-ticle), so paid 90 cents more, max
ing the price of the two articles 20 cents
in legal tender. Cheap enough, thought
and set out for the door again. "Hold
on p says the grocer again; "you are
going off without paying your taxes on
the tobacco and kerosene" "Taxes,"
said I, "what taxesr Why, there is
government direct tax of 50 cents and
all indirect tax of 8 cents on pound of
tobacco, and direct tax o. 80 cents and
an indirect tax of cents on gallon OF
kerosene oil. Some grocers cell these
taxes with their goods, but l sell my
goods at their specie value, and if de-
preciated money is offered as pay, the
charges on that become a separate item
by itself, as also do the taxes, which /
collect instead of selling. Your account
stands thus"
To pound tobacco and gallon kerosene
oil, specie price. ~ 81
To deprecated money on the same. ~
To direct tax on pound tobacco, 80 cts,
on gallon oil, 30 cts- ~
| To indirect tax on pound tobacco, cts,
on gallon oil, 2 cts. III
| Total 81 oU
every customer can now see don't
cheat" says the grocer. He said be
took especial pains to inform every Gus
toner that the direct taxes arose from
tax on incomes and business licenses.
The farmer who raised the tobacco paid
an income tax on it, anG the man who
! bought it, he who stored it, carted it,
transported it, manufactured it, the
jobber who buys it after it is manufac-
tured, the carter, the carrier, the whole
sale merchant, the carter, the carrier
again. the carter again, the retail mer-
chant, the peddler-in fact, every man
who handles it from the time it is plant
ed till it is consumed, pays a business
| license upon il. / saw the grocer's
head was "level," and l saw another
thing; saw the key that unlocked the
mystery of high prices. To say that
deprecated money is the source OF high
prices, is to talk nonsense. For both
articles in specie, was charged but
80 80; for deprecated money 20 cents,
and for taxes on those two
articles 80 cents, which is just four and
one-half times the amount charged on
the same articles TO account of derre-
ciated money. One pound of tobacco
bought with specie, with taxes added,
would cost SS cents. One pound of to-
bacco bought with legal tenders, with
out taxes, would only cost AZ cents; and
with taxes added, would cost just Sl.OO.
So if we returned to a specie basis,
would only pay 10 cents less for pound
of tobacco than now, and only s cents
less on a gallon of kerosene oil than
now. From the above, l adduce the fol-
lowing general rule for estimating the
amount of money paid on any article on
account of taxes: First, obtain the spe-
Gle value of the articles before the war:
from that obtain it's legal tender value,
and from the price now charged for the
article, deduct its legal tender value
and the remainder will be the amount
paid on account of taxes.
Thus, the specie price of one gallon
of kerosene is 20 cents, the legal tender
value is found to be % cents per gallon
which deducted from 60 cents, the price
charged, would leave 81 cents, the
amount paid to the account of taxes OIL
one gallon of kerosene oil. The specie
price of one pound of tobacco is 80 cents
legal tender value AZ cents, which de-
Quoted from 81 %, the price paid fol
the tobacco, leaves So cents, the amour,
paid to the account of taxes on one
pound of tobacco, so cents of which il
direct and cents indirect tax. Now,
use IL pounds of tobacco year, and or
each pound pay SO cents tax; conse
quently 1 pay 1886 annual tax on to
bacco. buy two pairs Of boots every
year, the specie value OF which
is $500 per pair-the legal tender value
$4.20: which, deducted from $500
the price / pay for each pair, leaves Sl.s(
per pair, or $3.50 annually paid to &C
count of tax for two pairs of boots
Specie price for tappisg each pair o
boots so cents; legal tender price Il
cents; paying price s7l cents; for tap,
ping each pair twice 6S cents is pait
to account of taxes. Specie price o
pants, vest and coat $500; legal ten
der price S2l.00; which deducted from
$4,000, the paying price, leaves 90 pait
to account of tax on these articles
Four pairs of stockings year-speci'
price so cents per pair; legal tendeI
price 20 cents; which, deducted frou
Sl.OO, the paying price, leaves 80 cents
+ tax per pair, or S1.20 paid annually Il
account of tax for stockings. To re
capitulate:
Tax paid for tobacco for one year. ......s
| boots .....-- 8
tapping boots ....... G
pants vest and coat. U
stockings for one year.
Total tax on the above articles. ....s .s2l 4
Now, suppose 30, 0,OO0, 600 of peopl,