The evening times., 1900-04-17
REPEAL OF A TAX ASKED
Druggists Want the Revenue on
Preparations Removed.
Fifty Members of the National As
sOciatiOn Appear HefOre the House
Heavy Drain on Che Retailers
Urged Rs n Reason for Action.

About fifty members Of the National As
sOeiation OF Retail Druggists from ali parts
OF the country are quartered at the Ra-
leigh. They are in the city to demand the
repeal Of the Stamp Tax law and expect
to be successful in their efforts. A pre-
liminary meeting Of the body was held at
the hotel shis ussrning and after having
discussed a plan OF action, the members
went to the Capitol in a body where they
We're given a long hearing before the
House Ways and Means Committee.
Thomas stoddart, Chairman Of the Leg
islative Committee OF the Association,
presented a petition on behalf Of The re-
tail drugg - Of ne United States asking
Congress 10 repeal the stamp tax upon
medicinal preparations and toilet articles,
which was levied 70 meet tke expenses Of
the Spanish-American war. The petition
relates that the amount Of the war tax
upon medicinal preparations amounts TO
over S40OO,OOO and that il; falls entirely
upon the retail druggists as an excessive
income tax.
In presenting the CIa. rs and desires Of
the organization before the Ways ard
Means Committee, n. F. HardrEg manager
Of the Humphrey Medicine Company. ire
treasurer Of the Proprietary Assoc.at on.
and member Of the legislative commit
tee, spoke as follows:
Il represent a manufacturer WHO did not
increase the price on ais goods when tie
war tax took effect, believing il was better
business policy 10 bear the whole tax. how
ever onerous. than to jeoDardize his bust
ness This tax amounts to about per
cent on the gross busiEess and about 30
per cent on the net profits Il is so heavy
that IL continued it would eventually push
many houses to the wall. The effect Of the
war stimulated and increased the pri-es II
nearly all materials entering into the man
ufacture Of cur goods. but as our pTices
are fixed, this becomes an additional bur-
den.
"On April 10 the Secretary Of the Treas
ury estimated that the surplus OF the MS
c@l year ending June 30 will amount 20
. seventy millions and tlat the estimate z
surplus Of the following ves- will be q Oh
ty-twO millions. No doubt g viii be a
great deal more. because the Secretary es-
timatGd that the surplus ibis year viii te
forty millions. whereas it is almost G0uble
that amount. Tne income from the War
Tax bill Is about forty-fve millions and if
the entire bin was repealed il would still
. leave q handsome surplus.
The income under schedule B-meii-
cines and cosmetics. is about 5000 COO a
very iEdEltcsiual sum. hut q large bur
ueu TO place upon two Industries singled
out from the whole manufactures busi-
ness Of the country. II the war taxes
should be repealed within two years after
the war what a picture 10 would be 90 the
entire world Of the prosperity and the re-
. Cuperative powers OF the United States Of
America.
IL these taxes were repealed within
two years of the war and the Government
thus kept its promise and faith with the
taNbearer. that these taxes were Tor war
purposes only. what a confidence it would
inspire. and should the country az some
future time go 70 war. how quickly every
/ business would respond 90 taxation, II they
were sure that the taxes would he abolish
cd soon after the var was over. OF as
soon as a surplus was shown"
Other members also addressed the COM
mlttee. setting forth the Injustice Of the
present war tax Among those who at
tended the hearing were Secretary Thom-
as Y. WOoten. Of Chicago. H.. John c.
. Gallagher. Jersey City y J.. R J. Eads.
Indianapolis Ind, William Mcintyre.
Philadelphia. Pa. o. y OlesOn. Fort
/ Dodge Iowa; L. Ardery. Atchisou Kan.
Mr.. Hammer Lynchburg. Va: William
I Muir. Brooklyn y Y. Hermann Rietzke.
| $. Paul Minn-; J. VI. De Neville. Nash
/ vihe. Tenn. and l. s Bryan Montgomery
| Ala.
The party VIII remain in the city until
Z Thursday