The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-12-04
BUYING WAR SAMFS
At ELEVENTH HOUR
RUSH OF LATE PURCHASERS AL
MOST SWAMP OFFICE
Only One Postmaster Helping as Yet.
Many Returns Filed Are De-
iecitYe.
The State, Dec. !.

The State, Dec. /.
Tie emergency revenue act passed
by congress October % TO make up
the deficit in tariff receipts caused by
the war in Europe Will go into effect
today. TIE time for making returns
under the act without incurring the
so per cent. penalty expired last night
at midnight
The Office force of Duncan Cllnch
Heyward, collector Of internal revenue
for South Carolina, has been working
night and day for the last week in
the effort to keep pace with the de-
mands made upon it by the provisions
of the war revenue act. During the
last three days over 1900 letters have
been received in the Office, asking
many questions about the scope OF the
emergency revenue act. Besides tn!s
heavy mail, the office force has had to
answer many inquiries over local and
long distance telephones about tie
new taxes imposed by the govern
ment. Yesterday for hours the office
was crowded with people who had
waited as long as possible before
buying the documentary and pro-
prietary stamps which must be affixed
IN many articles sold TODAY.
Many Returns Defective.
Collector Hayward said yesterday
that ne would consider any letter Of
inquiry rece;sed before midnight last
night a tentative return and wound
ask the treasury department not 10
impose the 80 per cent. penalty upon
citizens who had tried to inform them
selves about tneir liability TO pay
taxes under tie war revenue act. He
has mailed hundreds Of blank orns
to citizens who declared their identity
and their liability to taxation. About
40 per cent Of the returns when sent
back to his Office have been found de-
5ective in one or more particulars.
A frequent mistake vas the ia2lure
oG tie citizen: making the retur'ss ID
rave the form at5e5ted by a nora2y
,:uslic. These defective returns E'l
have % be sent Nd " /, the men wnn
made t. EN- for correction In t1e
meantime the collector is holding the
che ks sen; in with tie defective re-
tarns ;7'r ese amorn: to several
thousand dollars
Yesterday the collectors entire CT
flee force vas kept :.;sS selling
stamps 10 sneet the local demand. He
lad given vide publicity TO tie fac-
that postmaSters and halkers could
help the revenue Office and obllge
their customers by orderir:5 stamps
and putting them on sale.
Charleston Postmaster Helps
However, ]. NJ. Poulnot, postmaster
at Charleston, was tie only postmaster
who ordered supply of the new rev.
erue stamps. Mr.. Hayward had
large consignment smpped to>him yes
ter6ay. In consequence Charleston
ians can buy revenue stamps today
at the postofice in their city.
DespIte the wide puSlleity -iver e
provisions of tie emergency revenue
act, many citizens liable to taxation
under it waited until the last moment
to make their returns and to buy
stamps. This has made the Office
force of the collector work under tre-
mendous pressure during the last few
days. Tie Office Aas been open for
the last two TO three morning anti
4 a. m
Summary Of New Taxes.
The provisions of the emergency
war revenue act, effective today, have
been summarized as follows:
Tax on beer, $1.75 a barrel recti-
fled whiskey, cents gallonfi all do
mestic still wines, s cents a gallon
and 55 cents a gallon on all grape
brandies used in fortification; cham
pagnes, 25 cents a quart; carbonated
wines, 10 cents a quart; liquors and
eordials "a cents a gallon; bankers,
81 per thousand of capital, surplus
and undivided profits; pawn brokers,
$50 a year; commercial brokers, $40;
commission merchants, $50; custom
house brokers, $40; proprietors Of
theatres museums and concert halls,
with seating capacity not more than
800, s25 a year; not exceeding 900
capacity, $50; not exceeding 1000,
SIS; more than 1000, $100; circuses,
500; other amusement properties +
agents except chautauquas, lecture ly-
ceums, agricultural or industrial fairs
o1 eyhihitions under RELIGIONS or Char