The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-16

The effect on individuals Of the new
war revenue bill, which is expected to
bssome q law in o few days, Is some
thing that a very small proportion Of
the general public has given any thought
to. The importers, manufacturers. job
bers, retailers-in fact, all merchants
who hand their wares ovex to the gen.
cral public for consumption-have not
been SO remiss In this matter, and the
result Is that most of those who come
in for heavy taxes under the new bill
have arranged things SO that their share
of the war revenue will be paid by the
Then there are many other
things in everyday use by the general
public, such as bank checks, deeds,
mortgages, c~onveyances, notes and
steamship tickets, that the individual
himself must pay the tax on. There is
going 10 be q great number Of surprised
citizens on the first day that the new
law goes into effect, which will proba-
bly, be ON July !, because the articles
taxed are many.
An interesting feature Of the new law
is the new stamps Ii Is going to put INFO
use in the United States. There will be
hundreds Of different kinds. For weeks
the government engravers have been
making designs and submitting them to
the treasury department for approval.
It is said that all of this part Of the work
has been completed, and that the gov
eminent plants, assisted by the various
bank note companies, are hard at work,
trying to urn ont enough stamps to
meet the demands Of the first week in
the life Of the new law. The demand
during that week will be tremendous.
Every bank check must bear . stamp.
Most men know that there arc thou.
sands of hank checks issued daily in
New York alone. In the entire country
there may be a million. Yet the stamp.
ing of the bank checks is just cne item
in the list.
During the civil war and away up
into the seventies, when there was o tax
ON bank checks, the stamping WIS expe.
dited by the banks, which entered into
an agreement with the government BY
means of which they were allowed Il
stamp themselves whole books Of checks
These books were sold to the depositorl
for the value Of the stamps they con
tanned. Whether this method will b.
adopted now il a question. II it is not,
the depositor will have to buy his OWE
stamps and stick them on himself.
New York city's contribution to the
war fund under the new law will be al
most twice az much n that exacted
from any other city in the country.
There is very little to base calculations
ON, but it has been roughly estimated
that this city will spend $40, COO, 00(
annually Oh war taxes. There will b.
no protest here. If it were twice al
much, New Workers would stand il
without q word.
The tax ON beer is nominally 81 Z
barrel. 1t will be 81 under the new
law. It is expected that something like
"a, 900, 900 a year will be realized oil
beer in New York. The brewers have
refused to pay or even share the add
tional expense. They say that the 70
taller must stand it. The retailers arr
not satisfied with this plan at all. The.
proposed some time ago that the govern
mcnt quadruple its present excis
charge, which is $25, and let them of
with that. This, however. did not NEE
with the approval Of the ways an'
means committee, and they rejected 1t
Now the retailer must get even on TIL
He can do il inrone Of tw'
- -,kl.-~ .asca Tho ,,rfaa a olagl n
make the glass smaller. The bottlers o
beer decided some time ago to charge
cents moro q dozen for bottled beer, bu
the man who sells it over the bar is still
thinking it oven. Many of the retailer
are growing at the refusal Of the brew
ers to share the tax. They say that tn
brewers ere really gamers by tile ney
law, as the government allows them
rebate Of ~ cents on their stamps. b,
charging retailers the full amount the.
will be getting Just thst much more
barrel than they evor did before.
From the 10 cents a pound tax on te
the government expects to realize abou
$50, 600, 600 annually in tho country
New York's share of this, based OH Ga
importations Of past years, will b
about So, 900. 600. There will be no tn
ON tea imported before July ]. of course
and by that time importers hope to Sc
in somc 30, 00c, 900 pounds. This, how
ever, will only be about one-ffih CT tn
amount usually imported each yenl
The importers and retailers will nevs
stand the tax themselves. Tea wi
simply jump mp 10 cents u pcand aft
July 1, and the public will have to pa
that much more for il or go without.
Stamps will have to DO affixed to q
papers relating to real estate transa'
tions-eonveyances, deeds, leases, agre'
ments or contracts, mortgages, trui
deeds and powers Of attorney. Real o
tate men in New York who are familis
with the revenue bill are wonderin
what tho effect Of the section whic
Hnn .