The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-10-26
WAR NOT PAINFUL I
TO TOBAcCON|STS.
Small Tax Imposed On Smokes
Is Converted Into Big Profit,
and the Consumer Pays

"'.#.
Helping Uncle Sam win the war, isn't
such painful process as one might
think, from the standpoint DC the 10.
.nolulu tobaccouists. In fact, one might
almost be tempted to think that war
revenue taxes and such.like things that
put a serious crimp in the bankroll of
the man who has to buy things to eat,
drink and smoke are really relished
by the fortunate people who deal in
cigars, cigarettes and other smoke,
ables.S H ~
Az least, when one comes 60 consid,
er tibet a tobacco dealer ean--and does
demonstrate his patriotism by not
only passing the war tax on to his Gus
toners but actually making several
times the amount of the tax in add
tional net profits, one may be excused
for concluding, that patriotism does
not always mean sacrifice. Likewise,
that the, booze dealers who attempted
70 soak their victims in the pocket
book had nothing on the Honolulu
tobaecOnists. .#t y ~ Z
All of which may be best demon.
The war tax that must at present
be paid on cigarettes retailing here
tofore for fifteen cents box Is forty
cents 4 thousand. After November
II will be eighty cents.
Forty cents per thousand reduces
down to four cents hundred, or four.
tenths of a cent per box Of ten eigrr-
cites.
But the patriotic dealers least
some of them-have announced that
to meet this war tax they will raise
the price of fifteen cent cigarettes to
eighteen cents box, an advance Of
three cents. Deducting from this three
cent, advance the actual four tenths Of
cent of the war tax, the dealers are
able to help Uncle Sam win the war
by putting net additional profit Of
2,6 cents per box in their own pockets.
Pretty neat, ehf,,n .,sls..
But some of them are even more OBJ
hging than that. To save their pa
irons the trouble and Inconvenience of
having TO carry around pennies, they
have kindly consented 20 charge Eve
cents more, instead of three cents.
The internal revenue department, ac-
eording to the war tax bin passed o.
tober ;, was ordered to collect as war
taxes on cigars, as follows:
Retail prices over counters, selling
from 4 TO cents, war tax 81 per thou
sand; 7 to 10 cents, 81 per thousand !;
Is to 20 cents, S. per thousand; over
20 cents, 81 per thousand. These taxes
are in addition to all other taxes, but
only effective on manufactured or sold
manufactured goods not yet in hands
of retailers. ... a...
For the stock on hand held by deal.
ers, as of October 4, and taxes due thir.
ty days afterward, or November 4, the
tax is only one half of the above fig,
ures, or 80 cents for cigars selling from
4 to 2 cents, and so on.
There are few large cigarettes, of the
so-called Russian Imperial type, for
sale in Hawaii. The dealers sell only
the so-called small cigarettes. in the
case of these small cigarettes the war
tax is to be 80 cents per thousand for
manufactured stocks after November 4.
For all stocks in dealers hands, inve9-
toried as of October 4, aud the tax due
thirty days after, the rate of. tax is 40
cents, or just one-half. t,ta Hh .
Some of the dealers state that manu-.
facturers have contemplated for some,
time raise in prices of both cigars
and cigarettes because of increased cost
of labor and even Of materials, but that
they withheld the raise, and so did the
retailers. f',,tE ;E &c.,,
However, with the announcement of
the war tax, before the full tax is re.
quired on new manufactured goods, and
while the tax is but half the scheduled
rate on their present, or inventoried
stocks, the rate has been materially in
creased. 49, IN g35 .a-.-.a..
Will there be still another raise after
November 4 when the full war tax be.
comes effectiveR a-t-rts~ ,r-
7