Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-12-03
SHORTAGE OF REVENUE STAMPS
Government Slack in Providing
for New Tax Law.
Collector Gives Permission to Trans
act business Provided Records Are
Kept and Affairs Go On
As Usual.

tuesday was the first day in opera
ton of certain features Of the war
revenue tax law and, as was to be ex-
pected, much trouble was experienced
both by business men and the govern
ment officials in the enforcement of the
new law. There was no serious democrat
ization of business, however because Of
the leeway given so that the depart
inent. although caught in an unprepared
condition with either an inadequate
supply Of stamps or no supply at all,
could permit the transaction Of business
as long as records we're kept so that
the proper cancellation of stamps can
De made when they do arrive.
Fred Whittemore, deputy collector Of
internal revenue who has been working
night and day for the past two weeks
In order to facilitate matters as much
as possible, Tuesday evening had a stack
OF at least 300 letters which he had thus
far been unable to attend to and he esti-
mated that his mail in the past two or
three days had reached at least 1900
letters most Of which contained checks
or money. The amount Of money COL
lected In his district, which comprises
most Of Vermont is many thousands Of
| dollars, but Just how much Is not yet
known.
The greatest amount Of his trouble
was with persons who had no stamps
| The express company and the freight
offices had limited amount in the
morning but this supply was quickly
| exhausted and no more were obtainable
| The law provides that every bill Of lad
ing shall bear a stamp and traffic was
therefore held up until, In an effort to
relieve the situation, Mr.. Whittemore
| telegraphed news of the situation TO tho
collector at Portsmouth He received
word later In the day that shiprn ents
| might go forward so long as records
were kept and the proper number of
| stamps cancelled when they arrived. The
| same plan was adopted by druggists,
| liquor dealers, etc, who could not obtain
| the stamps. The banks as rule were
amply supplied although none had a
! sufficiently large stock 50 that any
| could be spared. One bank sent to
Portsmouth for ten dollars worth of
| stamps and received but one dollar s
worth and this shows about the proper
ton In which orders We're cared for, A
lapse of Il months Is permitted when q
| stamp is not affixed to a legal paper,
provided that an affidavit Is made NJ
the time, so that no trouble was ex-
perienced in this line. The only course
for those wishing to obtain stamps and
avoid the trouble of Keeping records Is
to write to Portsmouth for a supply as
there Is no depository here and Mr.
| Whittemore Is not to handle them
Most Of those who have paid taxes are
tobacco dealers who pay tax of 49,
for the period from December l TO June
30. Many others are taxed, however
and these include theatres, museums
etc, who pay according to their seating
capacity, from s25 to 800; brokers, $50
| pawnbrokers, $50; commercial brokers
500; customs house brokers. $40; bowling
alleys and pool tables, IS for each alley
or table; and commission merchants, $50
Then, in addition to those already men
toned, there is a tax on every telephone
call or telegram. the cost of which is
more THAI Is cents, and on all fire In
surance policies.
Most of the tax on telephone calls vii
he collec ted from the district headquarter'
of the New England Telephone company
in Greenfield. Mass. a record will b'
kept Of the calls and the money paiC
over In a lump sum within 20 days aftel
the expiration of the month. There are
however, many small Vermont companies
who will settle with Mr.. Whittemore.