The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-03


| When President Wilson affixed his
signature to the war revenue bill
and made it law, he set in motion
machinery so vast that soon it's vibra-
tions will be felt in every household
| in the land.
The greatest revenue bill in oul
history, designed to provide more
than two and half billion dollars
toward the costs of the war, is also
the most complex. TSriff duties ex-
| cepted, it combines almost every
known form of taxation. Taxes great
and small, direct and indirect, excise
and income and Inheritance and
stamp taxes--they march in serried
ranks.
The tax from which the largest re-
turn is expected Is that which least.
concerns the average man. This is
the tax on excess profits, from which
congress hopes to derive revenue of
at least one billion dollars.
! Here will be a field for statistic
ians and fiscal experts to battle up
on, and for accountants to puzzle
in each business may be regarded
as war profits and taxed. But the
man on the street will turn his mind
Ito other phases.
Second in Importance are the In
come tax provisions, and these con
scern the man on the street very
closely Formerly the minimum in
come reached by the federal tax was
5000 a year for bachelors and Sd
900 for heads of families. but now
the married man must make returns
on all income exceeding $4,000 a
year and the bachelors limit Is ST.,
600. The new measure adds a tax of
2 per cent to the former income tax
which likewise levied 2 per cent.
Only the single man who earns
less than $40 a week, or the married
man who earns less than $40, will
now be unconcerned when the federal
tax bill comes around. At $4,000 a
year the super-taxes begin, whereas
formerly they spared incomes UP to
$4,000 What the new super-tax
means to the man of large income is
shown by the calculation that an in
come Of $4,000, variously derived,
which last year was taxed SLIP,
will now pay $4.754. And, as the in
taxation.
Tobacco and Booze conscrlpted.
The average man these super
taxes pass by. For him are the null
hilarious taxes. Few will be his
waking. hours in which he does not
meet them.
If he takes "bracer'' during the
day or treats friend, it will cost
him more than 1t used to, for $2.10
a gallon is the tax imposed on all
liquors accumulated and stored since
the distillers closed September 1. !,
incidentally there Is new tax of
$3.50 a barrel on beer, and the wine
tax Is doubled.
II he chooses to smoke after break
fast, he will discover that the tax
upon all forms of tobacco is increas
ed, although for the most expensive
cigars the increase Is only 81 per
/ 900.
A telegraph or, telephone call from
his Office, if costing Is cents or more,
will mean a nickel paid for the tax. |
If he travels by rail he will pay a
tax of per cent on his ticket, with |
tickets, or if he sends articles ny |
freight or express, another tax will
await him there.
If the life insurance solicitor per
suades him to protect the welfare of
his family, he will learn that tax
Of 8 cents per $500 of policy is i'm
posed on new insurance. If he deals,
as most business men do, with such
documents as bonds and stocks,
bills of sale, time drafts, promis-
sorry notes, conveyances, entries Of
goods, proxies or powers of attorney,
he will find a demand on every hand 7
for revenue tax stamps. There is
no tax on. checks.
Sporting Goods Pay, Too.
II he is of sporting turn Of mind
he must pay a 8 per cent tax on
from golf sticks to dice I,
and from pool tables to checkers. /.
There is tax on the syrups that go
nto his noon milkshake and on the
mineral water. Whether he wish to
give his wife 1ewelry or motor Car
here is tax on both, to be include
n the price.
med tax on gas, electricity and ,ele- /;
,hone service, but me bath room is
ust an annex of the tax blreau.
Tooth paste and toilet water, powder
or the baby, cosmetics for, its moth
II or hair restorati res fer IFS father,
hey all bear their tax, as do al the ,
ills. powders, tinctITes and rroches
# the family medicine chest.
If one go at night to theater or !
picture show, one faces 10 per cent
ak Even the "dsadhsad' is taxed
N the value of the ticket he ought 7
o have bought. If ne decides TO stay !
It home and buy q talking machine
o amuse the evening hours, he pays
or tax on that also. If in despera- ;
ion he plays cards and chews gum, !
here is cents more on the cards :
nd per cent on the gum. There is
10 tax on sleep. and bed is the would :
,e taxdodger's only refuge. In this
ear Of war 1917, a man might bet
er seek to escape from his shadow
han to escape from the tax.
VIII Play 1t Hereafter.
United Press Leased Wire Service.]
BOSTON, Mass, Nov 3.-The Bos-
on Symphony orchestra will play
he Star Spangled Banner in all it's