The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-07-17
WAR STAMP ON BONDS.
It Falls Hard on Rural Free Delivery
Mail Carriers.

A special from Washington Friday
says. An indignant and vigorous pro-
test has bsen msde to the Postmaster
General because OF the heavy internal
revenue tax levied upon every new ap-
pointee IN the rural free delivery car
rier service. Il appears that in the
establishment Of new route the car
rier appointed is required to furnish
bond snd said bond must be freightcd
with so cents worth Of internal revenue
stamps. Some Of the victims DO not
hesitate to charac.er.zs the imposition
Of this heavy and onerous tax as
buaco game on the part Of Uncle Sam
This heavy and apparently unjust tax
is levied under the terms Of The war
revenue measure. Although the amount
seems small il is u just TO tax a poorly
paid official like rural delivery carrier
fly cents for his appointment, when
all OF the cther saisried officials Of the
Government, from the President down,
are exempt from revenue tax in COZ
sideca!ion for their commissions and a
place on the Government payroll.
As the salary Of these rural carriers
is only $500 per anHum the tax is a
hardship, but when, as is the case in
msny instances, the proposed route
hangs fire in the department aud is in
definitely shelved, it IS adding insult to
injury. The would be carrier hiss paid
out his fifty cents, but he never re-
ceives one cent Of pay.
Nj. Il. Conquest CLARK, the chief
special agent in charge Of the rural free
delivery service, ssid Friday: ''It
seems to me great hardship for these
men to be forced to pay this tag. AS
the routes are aim 9st, if not entirely
laid out in the farming districts, men
Of very limited circumsta oes are usual
ly appointed as carriers. To them
this half dollar means a great deal.
They invariably appeal to the postcfice
department for reimbursement when
the route to which they have been ap
pointed is held up, but We have no
power or authority to return the amount
expended for this revenue stamp.
I'm several cases." continued Mr..
CLARK, "the inspectors and special
agents Of the rural delivery systema
have been led out Of the kindness Of
their hearts to refund out Of their own
pockets to those men this revenue tax.
Special Agent Amin, Of the Western
division of lural free delivery, is one Of
this kind hearted class. He reported
to me the other day that it was the rule
rather than exception for him to cough
up this amount to the men whose
routes had been tied up in the depart
ment. He ssid he was simply forced
to do so by the way the carriers COM
plaiued Of the great hardship il was for
them to be thus deprived Of half dol
lar with no return for it.
"Siuce the lst Of July, when some
stamp taxes we're repealed" added Mr.
Clark, numerous inquiries have
reached me- every day asking il this tax
has not been taken off with the other
adhesive stamp taxes. When Con-
gress passed the Act repsling or reduo-
ing many Of the special war tsXes this
one imposed on 1uval carriers WAS left
unchanged. In almost every case the
taxes which we're imposed on men Of
moderate means, such as the stamps on
bank checks, express packages and
kilograms, were taken off under this
Act to take effsct on July /, but this
one, which is especially onerous to
rural carriers, vas retained"
II is likely that the Postmaster Gen.
eral will call the atte ntion Of Congress
at the next session to what appears to
have been an oversight in retaining
this tax and make = request that it be
repealed.