The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-31

The new law, which is a part of the general revenue bill passed by the re- cent legislature, provides that all per sons, firms or corporations engaged in the business of selling or issuing to merchants trading stamps, coupons or premiums shall pay privilege tax of not less than 5000 to the state, and a county tax of $500 for each county in which they operate. The companies also must pay, under the provisions of the act, per cent of the gross amount of their sales to the state.
 Solicitor Hugo l.. Black said yesterday that his office would prosecute any cases brought to it's attention of failure to comply with the law. He said that he but that his office would have nothing to do with the matter until arrests were rade by the license collector.
 STILES NOT CONCERNED
 Probate Judge J. P. Stiles said yester- day that he would have nothing whatever to do with the collecting of the county license for Jefferson, as the law made it mandatory upon the trading stamp people to pay the tax to the state treasurer. Judge Stiles said a prominent local att torney had called on him at his office for informal tion on this point, and that he had referred him to the state treas urer.
 H. A. Nolan, Alabama manager for the Sperry & Hutchinson company, said yes- terday: "The Sperry & Hutchinson com pany is not going out of business on January l, as has been stated by people who desire to injure us, but on the con for years to come. Green trading stamps will be redeemable at our premium store in Birmingham or at any other branch of the company in the United States.'
 w. s. Johnson. manager of the Retail Merchants Trading Stamp company, said: "We will continue in business and our Brown trading stamps will be redeem able as usual after January l."
 Mr. Johnson was asked if his com pany would pay the license required un- der the trading stamp and coupon sec ton of the revenue bill and referred The Age-Herald reporter to c. w. Banta. president of the company who. he said, would be in the city January 1. Mir. Johnson said MT. Banta handled the legal matters for the company and would make any statement he thought neces- sary upon his return to the city.
 Both of the trading stamp companies are offering rewards flor the arrest and conviction of the interruptions person or persons circulating the report" that they are going out of business, and both say they are There to stay"
 NO EFFECT ON TOBACCO
 In regard to the selling of cigarettes and tobacco containing in the package coupons. R. D. Burnett. president of the R. b. Burnett Cigar company, said yes- terday that the local dealers would not be affected by the law, MT. Burnett said the packages contained coupons issued by companies operating Outsrde Alabama, and the cigarettes were sold to the deal CTS by companies operating outside the state. Therefore he could not see how the law would affect the dealers here. as they do not place the coupons in the packages.
 c. A. DeFreest, local manager for the United Cigar stores. Inc, said yesterday that he did not know how the coupon hill would affect the giving of the profit sharing" coupons issued by his company from the local branch store Mr. DeFreest said he had ''sent tothc courthouse half a dozen times for information regarding 1t. but thus far had been unable to get any" He said he would go to the court house today in person and try and find out how the United Cigar Stores com pany would be affected. but until he found out, he would have nothing to say.
 PROVISIONS OF LAW
 The exact wording of the two sections Of the general revenue law covering the trading stamp and coupon tax follows:
 .111. Every person who engages in or carries on the business of Issuing oI