The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-30

This Is the week the tax collector xets us all.
 The most commonplace activities of our life must now contribute to the support of the National Government. We can't mali a postcard or express a uackase; we can't communicate with 1 a xIistant friend-by letter or telephone { oI' telegraph: we can't take any jour ney by train or. boat, or go to a thea. !. <r6s or concert or movtng-picture ! show. without paying little more for j 1t'Ihan we did before.
 The homebody. who has no concern 4 with any other community, is little troubled by the new taxes, unless he haupens to be a theatre or movie fan. f}<1t consider the sad plight, say, of the young man in Boston who is much at tached to n young wonian in Provi- NAnce or worcester.
 ~Tn the first place, he writes to her N fr 4f1uently As even the extensive w TSnHkon postal district does not go this f&r. ~ mo must put three-cent stamp on every letter where formerly a two nant stamp sufficed. If he cannot wait for the letters transit, he must pay an extra nickel on every telephone call ' psrSa@pas1 ,s'Ss @ { { NAsts tS send her pres &nts The parcel post rate does not change until Dec. 1, but he will find an |fncrease of roughly per cent. in the cypress charge and per cent. on freight
 If he goes to visit her by train he win pay 8 per cent. more on his tick et--ft would be the same did he go by boat-and if he brings her back to 'Boston fin a parlor car, he must pay no per cent. more for the seats.
 If they take in show together he wilI dig into his pockets for s2.20 for each orchestra chair instead of the Drcvfous $z with lower pricesein pro- \ portion
 The increases are provided for un- der Titles W, VII and XI of the Rev cnue law of Oct B. The law pro- vided that Titles V and VII should fnke efTect Nov. 1 and Title XL 30 davn after passage, which is Nov. 2.
 Tft1e w fs a "war tax on facilities xarniahed by public utilities and insur- mo business men perhaps it's most Important feature is its three per cent tax on freight carried by railroad or steamer. More individuals, however have occasion to send packages by ex- press than by freight, and they are faced by tax of one cent for each 20 cepts of charge, or fraction therec ' If hitherto parcel was 20 cents, lne cost is now 21 cents. If the rate yves 25 cents, it is now 27. if 50, 5s and so on.
 Still more are concerned in the ta1 of a per cent. on all railroad or steam boat passenger tickets of 36 seents ol rn<re Iadividua1 tickets costing 3! cents or less are not affected, and a thse prevailing rate of 1-2 cents 2 mile that exemption covers most rail Eood Journeys of IA miles.
 &1(orsover. the 35-cent limit does no uuply to commutation tickets or sea u1d tickets for trips of less than 8 rHfIsm. 50 that the great bulk of su bufhan and metropolitan passenge tr&fi1c is not affected. It does apply NS4xevar. to mileage books purchased NMpp{v 10 commutation tickets or sea Mft8r Oct. 31 and to payments in mile Mre fickets from books previousl, anuruhased' or payments in cash.
 Ho far rAs single railroad or boa f{ckefs are concerned, a ticket costinl from 86 to 43 cents win be taxed csrfn with 4 cents tax on A to 5 conta cents on 57 to 68 cents. cent on 60 to S1 cents, cents on 82 to g. cents. 8 cents on 94 cents to $1.0e and 50 on.
 On long railroad or boat journey there will be second burden in tn t nat o-per cent tax on costs of berths stateroorns and parlor-car seats.
 An application of Title VII. tn sswar tax on admissions and dues" going to be complex problem to set tie in many of its deails. So far a the general public is concerned, how ever. the tax imposes 1 cent on eac 70 cents or fraction thereof or tn cost of seats for theatre, moving-pie fures or other money-making enter Thaf .yciil mean I1scsntss fora 1c cent seat, n cents for 15-cent sea 18 cents for a Recent seat, 39 cent Tor a 35-cent seat, 55 cents for a 5C cont seat, s3 cents for a 75-cent ses ma s1.10 for $1 seat. If an eve ~ rate of S2 is set for any entertain rnent. that will mean a nominal rat of S1.81. plus a tax of 19 cents al norbed in the total.
 Exceptions are made for entertain rnents for which five cents is the mas' frnurn price, on which no tax is 1e' fed: Hckets for children under 12. ft whom only one cent is the tax ft any seat. and entertainments frol which the proceeds 'inure exclusivel to tho benefit of religious, education' or charitable institutions, societies ( orRanizatfons.''
 epeadhsads' are supposed to taxed on the basis of the price the would have paid for their seats. b1 who in actual practice is going to pa this tax is a problem yet to be sol ed.
 The postal rates have already bee much discussed and are not a diff cult problem. Beginning Nov. 2 e cry post card or mailing card mu bear a z-cent stamp instead of a cent stamp, First class letter DIS age must pay cents an ounce inneDe of 2, with the exception of "drop fe tsra.f that is, letters mailed for q uvarY fh the same postal district
 I'm Boston that tdrep letter excel 1lon "A highly important, for tho B0