The midland journal., 1917-10-12
TAX BILL SIGNED
BY PRESIDENT
viii Hit the Pocket Book OF
Every American.
MOST LEWEs EFFECTIVE
Increase In Postal Rates VIII Go Into
Effect In so Days-Higher Prices
For Liquor To Be Result
OF New lmpost.
washington.-The War Tax bill be

WaShingtOn.-The war TAX Dill DC
All new taxes in the bill become ef-
came a law Wednesday with President
Wilson's signature.
fective Immediately except certain
specified rates.
The 1-cent letter and postcard tax
becomes operative in 80 days and the
.second-class mail increases July l.
New income and war excess profits
taxes are based on income of the 1917
calendar year and payable before
March 81, 1918.
All stamp taxes including those on
parcel post packages become effective
December 1. Amusement admissions
and taxes on club dues, go into erect
November 1, as do taxes on freight
and passenger transportation, sleep
ing car, drawing room and steamship
berths; pipe line transportation, in
surance policies and telegraph and
telephone messages costing Is cents
or more.
No forInalities attended the signing
of the measure, which levies for this
year more than two and half Dli-
lion dollars new taxes to provide war
revenues. 1t touches directly or IN
directly the pocketbook of everybody
in the country, through taxes on In
comes, excess profits, liquor, tobacco,
soft drinks, passenger and freight
transportation, proprietary medicines
chewing gum, amusements, musical IN
struments, talking machine RECORDS
and many other things.
One of the immediate effects of the
signing of the law will be an increase
in distilled beverage prices to meet
the new tax of $210 a gallon which
reaches even the stocks OF retailers in
excess of SO gallons.
Final official estimates of Treasury
Department and Senate Finance Com
mittee experts of revenue expected
from the bill during the first year OF
it's operation follows:
Income individual and corporate,
1851 100000; excess profits, 100000
coo; distilled spirits, $135,0O0,0O0;
rectifed spirits, $5,O00,000; fermented
liquors, $46,oOO,00o; wines, liquors,
ETC., S7,0OO,OOO; syrups, soft drinks,
etc., $13,00O,000; cigars, $10,000,000;
cigarettes, $21,500,000; tobacco, $780,
100000; snuff, $1,S00,0O0; cigarette
papers, 100000.
Freight transportation, $77,50O,OOO;
express packages, $10,80000O; passen-
ger transportation, $66,000,000; pipe
lines transportation, $4,500,000; seats
and 0erths, $4,500,000; telegraph and
telephone messages, $7,000,O0O; insur-
ance, $5,OOO,0O0; automobiles and mo-
torcycles, $40000,000; musical instru-
ments, monographs, records, ETC., s3,-
100000; motion picture films, $4,000
900; jewelry, .s4,500,000; sporting
goods, $1.2Oo,ooo; pleasure boats.
$50O,0
Proprietary medicines, $3,4O0,000;
perfumery and cosmetics, $1,9G0,000;
chewing gum, 100000; cameras, $780,
900; amusement admissions, $50,00O,-
900; club dues, $1,5O00OO; stamp
taxes, including playing cards and
parcel post, $29,00O,000; inheritance
taxes, S5,OO0,0OO; Virgin Island prod
ucts, $4,000; first-class mail matter,
$70,000,o00; second-class mail matter,
$6,000,O00; munitions manufacturers
tax, $25, 100000; totals, $2,534,S7O,000.
Postmaster-General Burleson has as
sured Congress that, before the new
increased second-class mail rates be-
come effective next July, he will use
his influence to have the entire sub
ject reopened by the Senate and
House Postal Committees and new
and probably modified system estab-
lished as a substitute.
The conferees accepted the COM
promise in the Revenue bill, it was
stated with the express understanding
that the department and Congression-
al committees would take up the ques-
ton before the rates become effective
and present some new plan.