Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-04
LuCifer Matches.

From the American Grocer March 49,
The last returns of the internal revenue bureau
report THAT the receipts for stamps for matches
amounted to So, 272. 253. Taking the average of
the internal revenue stamp tax per gross of
matches. the total production in the United
States is about 2.6OS000 gross an average of
about $500 gross per day orr total of about
hnty-seoen thousand .6ue hundred and tifYy-t ire
mutton matches that went into consumption in
the United States during the year 1882. With a
population of So 600, 600. this shows an average
consumption of about two matches per day for
every man, woman, and child in the
United States The average price of
matches of all kinds should be reduced
after July LIST. at least $1.75 per gross which
VIII make difference i'm the cost to the con-
sumers OF about "a. 500. 900 yearly If this re-
ducton OF 81 IS per gross is realized It will rep
resent reduction in profits OF about $1,000. 600
a year to the Diamond Match company, or. in
other words, the result Of taxation has been that
not only did the people pay the tax. but thew
paid an extra profit to manufacturers over and
above the amount that was an ordinary manu-
facturer's profit o about 81 200 600 per
year. That is the direct result of the
annoying stamp tax on matches, in keep
ing out of the business small manufacturers
who could not we'll give bonds for
stamps and who lacked the capital necessary TO
pay lhc fil Sc stamp uutleS Ia advance. To show
the great difference in the cost of matches
where no stamp duty is levied, we have only to
look to the cost of Swedish matches A good
sulphur match is sold in Sweden at the eolliya-
lent in our money of 30 cents per gross. On
matches manufactured in this country the stamn
duty is about $1.36 per gross, and the cost of
making in this country and adding fair manu-
facturer's profit would be Sc cents, making a
total cost of Sl72. The price at which the Dia-
mond Match company are selling is $3.50
showing profit over and above a fair lnanufac-
turing profit of over so per cent. This has been
the direct result of trammeling tax laws. that
permitted rich corporations to form combina-
lions that have, within the last eight wears
taken fully ten millions of dollars extra profit
out of the citizens OF the United States. No
person will pretend that during that period
the finances of this country needed any in.
come from matches. The above facts show
coHcusiyely the evil effects of heavy taxation.
and how it trammels and effects business trans
actions. The United States SHOULD at this time
be able to largely manufacture matches for
export. 1t is fact. however, that our export
OF matches is almost nal. The country has COM
menced to throw off the incubus of Oyertaxa-
ton. On July l next the stamp tax on matches
will be- entirely taken of, and we predict that
manufacturers in this country within three wears
Will be exporting matches largely. At the pres
ent time Sweden is the greatest match manu-
featuring country in the world Notwithstanding
makers import not only nearly all the chemicals.
but actually large quantities of the wood from
which matches are manufactured besides all of
the tin useC in making the tin-lined cases neces-
sary for packing matches for shipment to far