Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-25
Everything Ready to Commence the
Collection on Tuesday.
MUSf BE ALL SfAMPED
Cards in Stock Are Not Exempt
From the Law.
4 l. A r G. E RE VEN NUE

States Secretary Carlisle estimates the
revenue from this source at 100000 for
the current fiscal year. Treasury experts
estimate the entire stock of playing cards
now In the hands Of dealers at 1O.OOO OOO
packs The annual product of domestic
manufactures Is estimated at 3OOOO.OOO
packs Imported playing cards are dutiable
at the rate of 10 Ger is per pack and 50 Der
cent ad valorem. and are also subject to
tne internal revenue tax of cents per
PACK. These foreign-made cards are
treated like all other importations OF du
table merchandise. The duties are assessed
and collected by the customs officials who
are also charged with the duty of seeing
tnat each pack Is provided with the regula-
ton internal revenue stamp. price 2 cents.
The collection of the tax on the domestic
product including the stock on hand de-
wolves entirely upon the officers Of the In
ternal revenue service.
The preparation for the execution of this
business Is well advanced, notwithstanding
The fact that the tariff bill Is not vet a law
and Is not expected to be until Tuesday
morning next Inasmuch as this provision
OF the bill takes effect Immediately on the
day the Dill becomes a law, Ii was absolute
ly necessary to make arrangements for its
enforcement in advance. This preliminary
work has kept large force In the internal
revenue bureau busy day and night ever
stree the passage of the bill. The necessary
irstructions for the guidance OF the collect
ors all over the country were issued by
Commissioner Miller several days ago. AS
Congress made no special provision for the
expense of collecting this tax, the extra
work has been entaied altogether upon the
present force. The collectors were instruct
ed to communicate with all the dealers in
their districts and to get statement of
II cir stock. at the same time informing
them of the law and the penalties for its
tial to the collectors in order that they
might make their requisitions upon the in
ternal revenue bureau for stamps.
Some cf the districts are SO large that II
was a physical Inpossibility for the col
lectors and their deputies to make a thor
cugh canvass, In compile noe with depart
ment Instructions. In these cases the col
lectors were authorized 70 erlist the assist
ance of postnlasters. Even with this rein
forcement II was found necessary in many
districts to resort TO the use of posters to
prornulgate the provisions Of the proposed
law for the benefit of dealers who could not
be personally Informed. This was the case
in several districts where there were many
snail villages at great distances from each
other
Must BE Stamped.
When the law takes effect every pack of
playing cards in the hands of dealers must
display the government stamp, indicating
the paymeat Of the tax. and every pack is
sued by the manufacturer must be similarly
decorated. A per atty Of $50 is prescribed
for every unstamped pack that may be is
buying and affixins stamp the dealer is
required to cancel 1t by writing on 1t his
name and the date on which II was Affixed
Failure to 50 cancel the stamps also sub
jects the delinquent to penalty OF $50 for
each pack.
There are but six factories for the man
ufacture of playing cards In the United
States. Therefore 1t will not be very diff
cult to keep track of their output. The
main difficulty in the initial enforcement
of the law will be with respect to the col
IectS.f the tax upon the stock previous
ly ssled and now In the hands of the
retail dealers. In round numbers there are
1900 establishments of this Kind in the
United States, and their present stock is
estimated at 100000 packs Of cards. The
dealers have a larger supply on hand than
usual They were caught mapping during
the consideration of the tariff bill by Con-
gress. 1t seems that they got the impress
sion that the tax or playing cards would
be imposed only upon cards manufactured
after the law went into effect, and that II
would not apply to the stock then in the
haniS of dealers. With his idea In mind
they doubled their orders. with the result
that they will now have to pay the tax
that would have fallen upon the manufac-
turers IL they had not been quite so previ-
GUS Although the tax will unquestionably
affect the wholesale price of the cards, 1t
Is not likely that II will make any differ
enee whatever IN the retail market. In
view of the possible rise in the rates of
manufacturers. the dealers who have al
ready laid in their stock may yet come
cut even in the transaction nothwithstand-
ing they will have to pay the two-cent tax
on the cards row in stock.
Five corporations are engaged in the
manufacture of playing cards. but. as al
ready stated. there are six factories. The
United States Playing Card Company of
New Jersey has factory In Cincinnati
and another in Indianapolis. The New
York Consolidated Company has a factory
IN New York city. So has Andrew Dough-
erty and the Perfection Playing Card Com
pany. The other factory is that of the
American Playing Card Company at Kala-
nazoo. Mich. The annual product Of the
United States Company Is estimated at
100000 packs, and that Of the other four
companies combined at 12.OO.OO packs.
The stamps Ready.
The Internal revenue bureau has pre-
pared the stamps necessary for the execu-
ton of this tax. and they will be ready for
delivery In all parts of the country by
Tuesday morning next. There are two
kinds Of stamps for playing cards-one for
the stock on hand and the other for the
general issue of the nRnufacturers after
production. They are alike, except in two
Important particulars. The dealers stamp
Is light red in color and the manufacturers
stamp Is blue. The former contains the
words ION hand August. 1884," while the
latter stamp contains instead the words
Act of August, 1894.
The exact date is omitted on both for OBJ
yious reasons The stamps are about the
Bize of an ordinary postage stamp. They
are exceedingly simple in design, but are
believed to be safe from counterfeiting.
There are small squares at each corner,
and the main insignia Is a miniature repre-
sentation of four cards of the suite of dia-
monds, held in the usual fan-shaped fash
ion; but why only four cards, and why dia-
monds, without regard to sequence, are
things that no fellow can find out. Across
the face of the cards rs printed the words
playing cards" The ir.itials ''C. s L. r.,
meaning United States Internal Revenue,
are prir ted in a line across the top OF the
stampr. and at the bottom. underneath the
four cards Is a large figure 2 and the words
"On har August. 1894" or Act of August |
1894" according to the purpose of the
stamp The words Two cents" are also |
promiT entity displayed on the stamps. The |
bureau of engraving and printing is turn |
ing them out in immense numbers in an |
ticfpS tion Of immediate use, and IL is safe |
to say that the supply will meet all cur |
rent demands. Playing cards were taxed |
at the rate of > cents per pack during the |
war but since then they have been entirely |
frrvl1 taxation. l