The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-09-17
A Direct Tax OF Two Cents Per Pack
Imposed by the New
Law.
Returns on 10000 Packs From
This District Have Been
Made.
The Government Jould no, supply the
Revenue stamps nj TiFst--Plshty
OF them Now.

The new tafIfI Law which wont into effect
Aug. % Imposes direct tar on plhyinR
cards now Ia stock or 10 be manufactured
Of two cents per pack. Accor iiag 70 tho
new Law sVorg deck Of cards must bear
revenue siamp upon the boz or oase vhioh
sneloses tho cards when sold.
The dshisfs In playing cards In this In
teTnai foysnus diatTiet. which inoludss
Montana. Idaho and Utah. hAVo bsen In
formed Of the nov law through circular
lsttsiS and by personal canvas BY deputy
revenue collectors The letter sent out 10
dealers Is as follows
"Your attention 10 hereby directed 10 The
provisions OF tho bill recently passed by
soong eas taxing playing cards, and which
becomes operative this day, Aug. 26 1894.
Section 70 OF the bill Teads az 70 lows;
"'lhat on and after Tho first day OF
August. 1894. there shall be levied, collected
and paid BY adhesive stamp q tar OF two
cents for and upon every pack OF plsJ inR
oafds containing not moro than hfty-foHr
cards, mnnufaotu ed and sold or removed,
and also on evsrV pack In the stock Of any
dealer on and after that date, aud the com
missioner OF internal revenue, with the
apl roval Of the ssorstary OF the treasury.
shall make legulstlons &c 70 dies and ad-
heslye atsmpa'
ssction II rsada ss follows
That whenever any etson makes. pre-
parss and sells or removes for consumption
o. sals playing cards. Whether OF domestic
manufacture or imported. upon which a
tsI 10 imposed by Law. without aifixipq
the eto an aphesive stamp donotina the tax
before mentioned. he shall incur penalty
OF $50 for every omission TO afiix suen
STANG"
"You will. thsrsfors. before yos sell or
offer for sale any PLAYING cards, make .
sworn statement OF the number Of packs OF
playing cards in stock. aud procure from
this office the revenue stamps y divided
therefor. under the penalty provided foe
violations set forth in section " Of shs bill,
ss above quoted"
There have been returns on 100. 900 packs
from this district aud thee will rrobably
be reported 30. 900 more. or those already
reported Helena has furnished returns Of
900 racks. Most Of this number are in
cluded In wholesalers stocks. The jobbers
in Helena supply the trade all over the
state with playing cards, which fact ac-
counts for shs great number OF packs In
this city.
The revenue department Was unable 70
furnish she revenue stamps 40 the time the
new law went into effect Aaa oonssquencs.
had tho Law bsen strictly enforced. there
for 40 least two weeks Afier the bill be-
came operative. The law was not followed
oat lie ally In any district In the county.
Rsiabie dealers we're allowed 20 make rs-
turns of their stock on hand Aug. 2S. and
order the requisite number of siamps.
While waiting foi the stamps. the dealers
sold from their stocss and when the stamps
finally arrived, they canoellsd all received.
! In this manner tbe government wss not
cheated and the public generally were nos
ineonvenienced.
There 10 now n liberal supply Of the new
revenue stamps at tho collectors Office In
thIs CITY. All dealers in Montana, Idaho
ald Utah who have not already been sup
piled should apply 10 the Helena ONCE
o the aismp oflios at Boise City or Salt
Lake for the stampA The dealers on re-
oeiv'ng tho stamp, are expected and re-
quired 10 put one stamp on each pack. and
nod then caucal the same md mnrk the
date Of cancellation.
When all the dealers In playing cards In
this revenue dist iet havs been supplisd
there will be no further use for the new
stamps here, as there are no manufacturer
of cards In Montana. Idaho or Utah.
The new evsnuo stamps are in size the
same As the O dinary postage stamp. They
are light reddish brown In color and quite
pretty In design. Tbs words playing
cards" a'e printed In espltals on the face OF
the stamp and prominent nRurs 2 dsnot.
leg the value. APT ears In the design.