The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-30
THOSE WAR TAX STAMPS.
Trouble Expected Over Their
Scarcity in Jersey City.
COLLECTOR FARMER BEsIEGED.
Law in Effect Tomorrow and
the Demand Exceeds the
supply--Banks Have
a Few.

Cb l. y W.
There is going to be trouble in the land
tomorrow, and it's all going to be over the
new war tax law which goes into effect
at midnight tonight As is well known &c
every one who keeps abreast with the
times, all these new taxes are to be paid
forst1 sta fafs EVERY check given after
every deed, lease, mortgage or similar
amounts according to the consideration
named IN the document Every telegram
must have a one cent stamp affixed before
the operative will send it; every time you
ship a package by express the company
must give you receipt having one cent.
stamp affixed and the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue at Washington has just
decided that when railroad company
charges for excess baggage 1t must give
the owner receipt with a one cent
stamp upon it just like the express com
pany. In addition to this there are any
quantity of proprietary articles which
schedule named in the bill.
Of course the mere levying of this tax
to pay the expenses of giving Spain
hard drubbing, ought not to cause much
trouble, especially when every one is
i
The trouble grows out of the lack of
stamps The printing facilities of the
Government have not been adequate to
supply enough stamps to meet the de-
mand.
One hundred and fifty millions of the
new internal revenue stamps have been
shipped to collectors OF internal revenue,
and some 2Q.000,000 or 300o0,000 additional
will be in their hands by Friday morn
ing. 1t is believed at the Treasury De-
partment that this number will amply
supply all reasonable demands, although
there may be considerable difficulty in
getting them in the hands of the people.
Indications are that the banks and mer-
chants will respond to the call for assist
ance issued by the bureaus and will un-
dertake to handle these stamps in small
public. In eases where, the banks do not
agree to pay for the stamps directly, the
collectors are authorized to permit the
banks to handle them If the latter give a
sufficient bond for the value of the
stamps.
Ensold stamps may be returned and
credit will be given the banks for them
on their original bill. In shipping the
stamps the bureau began with the Pa
cific coast and gradually worked east
ward, until now all the districts are sup-
timore, Boston, Philadelphia and New
York. Stamps for these districts were
4sent out today and another large quan--
fifty will be shipped tomorrow. Care will
be exercised by the collectors to prevent
certain manufacturers of patent medi-
cines tram ol8taining such quantity df
stamps as will cause a shortage IN the
supply. One manufacturer has already
deposited $50. 900 for stamps, which would
give him about 20,000,000, number which
he may be able to use IN the i1e.e43 course r. OF
essary in his business at present In
such cases the collectors furnish suffi-
cient number Of stamps to enable the
applicants to continue with their busi-
ness without Interruption and furnish the
remainder as the occasion demands.
Jersey City will be sufferer if some
Deputy Collector Farmer has been over
run with applications for the new stamps
and he has been unable to supply the de-
mand. Today he had received no stamps
from Washington up to three o'clock and
the small supply which reached him yes
terday was soon exhausted. Mr.. Farmer
those he received. Instead of disposing
Of the stamps as they We're called for,
which would have soon exhausted the
supply, he divided them equitably among
the banks and banking institutions. The
stamps received yesterday were not the
new revenue stamps. but We're. ordinary
postage stamps having upon them tne
This will be used until the revenue stamps
are received from the Washington au-
thorities. but each must nave upon ~ II In the
ed by the internal revenue authorlties ana
those bearing the letters |. + placed lD9n
them are forgeries IS and 9, nd, the holders VIII
be dealt with accordingly
The provisional stamps will be used
until the new stamps are ready Ihey
can be used only on documents-bonds
certificates of stock checks. drafts. Ger
tifcates of deposit, promissory notes. bills
of exchange letters Of credit, bills OF
lading. insurance policies, telegraphic de-
patches, and the score Of other docn-
rments enumerated in the stamp tax sched-
ule Only postage stamps with the GOV
ernment's black imprint can be used
1<,v1,f, fl,xa hing oct
man in Jersey City this morning. This Is
the last day of his year, and he was busy
preparing his reports of the years busi-
ness. In addition to that ne was ovefrun
with applicants for stamps and to one
and all he made the same reply: That he
had none, but expected some today Not
only has he been besieged by the people
over his own district, but ne has . even been
called upon BY firms, individuals and
companies in New York who have begged
him to send them some of the stamps.
To these requests Mr.. Farmer invariably
replied that he wanted all he could get
will be in a condition to do business with
out much difficulty tomorrow, owing to
the manner in which the collector has
distributed the stamps already received.
Friday and the short day of Saturday it
is thought can also be gotten over without
difficulty. Monday being a holiday, no
business will be done, and by Tuesday It
is expected that there will be enough
mands..
There win be considerable trouble over
the telegraph stamps. Up to three o'clock
this afternoon the offices in this city had
not received any stamps. Those in
charge. however. appeared to anticipate
no trouble They said that they had re-
ferred the matter to their head off1ces,
in New York. and expected that they
would receive supply from them.
Officers of the Westrn Union Telegraph
Company stated yesterday that the tax on
telegraph messages of one cent must be
levied on all messages. The stamp must
be paid for by the sender, who must af1lx
It to the message and cance! II win MS
name and the date of cancellation. The
company having no facilities for handling
stamps, will carry only limited supply
during the early period OF the enforce
ment of the law for the accommodation
Of its patrons.
Many inquiries have been made as to
the manner in which these stamps are 70
be cancelled. Eeach person who uses the
stamp will be required to cancel II BY
writing his or her Initials and the date OF
the use OF the stamp across its face,
Heavy penalties are provided for usnB q
stamp more than once. There will no
doubt be much confusion in the early
stages of the laws operation and many
good people will unintentionally violate
some Of Its provisions. There is clause
in the law which protects these good peo-
ple. but woe betide the man who violates
the law for the purpose Of defraudiEg the
Cavern men &