Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-04
AN OUTRAGEOUS TAX

TIME most astounding and out
rageous development in the his
tory of the liquor business il
Pennsylvania has just come to light
In their fight against prohibition the
Philadelphia Retail Liquor Dealers
Association has announced, through
the national president, Neil Bonner
that there soon will be levied a ta1
on all men with whom the liquor deal
ers do business, and thus will be raiset
large fund to combat the prohibi
ton movement.
The idea is to deduct 1 per cent. Of
all purchases from the bill and pu
this amount into a general campaign
fund. 1t is to apply to merchants, drug.
gists supply dealers and every class o.
trade patronized by the retailers. The
amazing letter follows:
The Philadelphia Retail Liquor
Dealers Association, in common
with retail liquor dealers associa-
tions of other States, has adopted a
discount stamp system, the purpose
of which is to afford our friends
whom we patronize an opportunity
to help our cause by contributing in
an GQulIdDl6 IO"dTu d
to be used Gin legitimate ways) in
protecting and defending our busi-
ness against contiscation by State
and national prohibition. This stamp
proposition contemplates q volun-
tary contribution of per cent. dis
count--a penny on each dollar
from invoice prices, on goods sold
to the retail liquor trade, this
amount to be deducted from bills
and invoices and discount stamps to
the amount of such contributions to
be attached to bills and invoices
when payment is made either in
cash or by check. The proceeds Of
such contributions are to be turned
into a general fund to be used for
the purpose aforesaid. For the
purpose of illustrating this dis
count stamp system, subject to your
approval and consent-now and in
the future-we have. deducted 1
per cent. from your invoice here
with and have attached discount
stamps to the amount of the de-
you herewith our check in pay
ment of the net amount as shown
by the invoice. If the deduction
from this invoice is not entirely
thank you to so notify us, and we
shall be pleased tc refund you the
amount. Manifestly, our interests
tion, which is continuously harass-
ing the liquor industry and aims at
its destruction, are mutual.
In other words, the liquor dealer!
place themselves on par with the
government as tax levying power
They propose to tax all businessmen
for the privilege of trading with them
Tho tax is to be voluntary" but it i!
not difficult to understand that the
merchant who declines to be robbed O.
a cent out of each dollar will be soor
on the blacklist.
The liquor business thrives on thu
money that should be spent otherwise
The grocer, the dry goods man, The
clothier, the milliner, the automobile
dealer, the ice man, the coal man-al
home are robbed by the liquor traffic
Every penny that is spent for booze
should go into some other line O
trade. Yet for the purpose of pilint
up a fund with which to stem the ris
ing sentiment of prohibition thest
same liquor dealers propose to tax tn,
very man whose business they are in
juring.
This proposed liquor tax is danger
Gus in the extreme. If a tax on sale
to liquor dealers, why not one on gaso
line buyers to fight the government
antitrust suits, or on white paper pur
chasers to prevent the governmen
from interfering with that trade, or OIL
sugar users-or on any one of dozei
commodities.
Let merchants accede to these out
rageous demands of the liquor mel
and there will be no end to the taxes
that will be assessed against them. I
is about time that the government
takes look into this new form o
private taxation. The thing is mex
door to blackmail. If the liquor deal
ers are so anxious for campaign fund
who don't they contribute themselve
heaven knows their profits are high
er than those of most other business
men. in these days of close margins.