The herald., 1898-07-02

STAMP TAX TROUBLES
MERCHANTS FIGHTING THE Elk
PRESS COMPANIES
Supply of Stamps Not Anywhere Near
Equal to the Demand-Details of
the Law Puzzling


NEW YORK, July 1.-The World says
this morning:
| The war tax in its entirety is in force to-
day. The schedule relating TO beer and
tobacco became operativ June IA, the other
schedules took effect at midnight. There Is
a great scarcity of stamps. The govern
ment. with all its equipment, has been able
to furnish only fraction of the supply
| needed. AS a result several large manu-
facturers of proprietary medicines will be
forced to reduce their output for days or
perhaps weeks until the supply of stamps
is adequate.
| Collector Treat began the sale of docu-
mentary and proprietary stamps on Tues
| day. There was a demand for over 40 ,000-
| 600 stamps of al classes at this office at the
| outset, but applications were cut all along
| the line.
The banks were most favored, because
stamps will be sold at all banks and the
public will thus have easier access tothem.
Yet the demands of bankers were trimmed
| from % to so per cent. An applicant for
1000 stamps, for instance, received 10, 600 or
5000 according to the value The number to
be given was left to the discretion of the
collector
The Western Union Telegraph Company
received 100000 1-cent stamps, the Postal
Telegraph Company 100000, the Anglo
American % 900 and the Transa tlantic Com
pany 25,0C0.
The demand for stamps has been largely
! increased by orders from out-of-toWn bust
ness men and bankers who are unable to
get supplies from the revenue offices of
| their own districts and ordered through
| their representatives in this city. Two
cent postage stamps, with the letters Il.
r." on them, were sold in place of stamps
designed from differep, classes. The dollar
stamps were the highest den ominat.on
sold.
| The telegraph companies have not vet
received the stamps necessary 10 properly
conduct their business. Until they get
them, cent extra will be charged for each
message and the money turned over 10 the
| collectors.
| The telegraph and express companies Will
| make customers pay the tax of l cent each
| ON kilograms and bills of lading by compel
ling them to buy the stamp and cancel 1t.
The Postal Telegraph Company posted a
notice to this effect. These companies will
| carry supplies for several days, but later m
the public will be expected to furnish its
own stamps.
! "What shall do to send message after
midnight tonight?' reporter asked at the
main office of the Postal Company.
| buy one cent stamp at our office was
the reply. put it on telegraph blank, cancel
IL by writing your initials and the date.
/ fpr
afterwards you will furnish your own
stamps, precisely as you 1urnlsh your OWN
stamps for letters"
| At the American Express Company
office the same information was given as
to the bills of landing.
| The Merchants Association has decided
| to fight the express companies on this
and will appeal to the courts If common
carriers refuse to give receipt with the
stamp tax duty paid when package Is
| offered for shipment. A committee or the
association visited each express company
| to announce that merchants would not pay
| the tax. The express companies replied
that they had been advised by counsel that
they were not obliged to pay it. The rail-
road companies have practically agreed to
pay part of this impost and the Mer-
| chants Association proposes 10 DrilS inc
| express companies in line.
| The Herald says: Some of the leading
events of the day CThursday) were:
The announcement of the New York Tele-
phone Company that 1t would reduce the
price of toll messages from Is to 10 cents
within the limits of Manhattan and the
| Bronx, except messages from one of the
two districts to the other. the company
thereby avoiding the necessity of paying
any war tax on such messages.
The announcement of express companies
that they, will compel the public to pay the
| one-cent tax on all packages and the threat
of the Merchants Association to carry the
matter into the courts.
The opinion of Commissioner Scott that
the tax on stock transfers Is not so extcn-
sive as was originally supposed.
The apparent discovery of Wall street
that under certain circumstances bonds are
exempt from taxation.
The ruling that brokers engaging in diff
ferent branches of trade such as stocks,
grain, cotton and real estate, must take out
separate license for each branch.
The decision that in the case of future
sales on the floor of an exchange the tax is
payable on the contract at the time of SALE
not of delivery.
Circular of Instructions
WASHINGTON, July 1.-Assis;ant Sec
rotary. Howell has issued a circular of in
structons to all collectors of customs fixing
the rate of stamp tax to be required on all