El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-10-26
TAX IS
HIGH
Considered So Excessive
That Revenue Commits
sioner Wants It Cut.

Outside Of the liquor interests,
probably no other industry in the
country has been hit as hard by the
war tax as have the moving pictures,
So excessive is the tax that the Hon
Daniel c. Roper, United States intern
al revenue Commissioner, has ex-
pressed himself as being so impressed
with the unfairness that he expects
10 bring the matter before congress
at the coming session.
A tax ranging from 10 TO 20 per
cent on the gross business OF the
moving picture theaters has been i'm
posed. This is done by charging a
direct tax On every ticket sold
Tax Exceedingly High.
In the case Of q five cent children's
ticket It amounts to 20 per cent gross.
On the higher priced tickets for ad-
ults, ranging from 10 TO . cents, IL
ranges from 10 TO over u per cent
gross There are few businesses
y nlch can pay 50 large a tax on gross
business and the prediction is made
IN the moving picture trade journals
that this tax. If kept in force for a
single year, viii eliminate from 25
tc so percent Of the theaters in the
United States. A picture show show
ing the poorest and cheapest pictures
n
is not taxed but II a show charges 10
cents for adults and cents Tor chill
dren, tax OF one cent of 20 per cent
gross must be paid on each child's
ticket The leading manufacturers Of
the country Who have tried 10 raise
the class and quality Of their produc-
tons have been aroused by this dis
elimination against the higher class
shows in favor of the dumps.
Tax on Negative Stock.
~ 4 a
foot on negative stock. At first
glance this does not look so bad but
when It is explained that in making
big productions thousands Of feet are
wasted and actual figures are given
II looms up as a tremendous burden
For instance. in the making OF The
Daughter Of the Gods" a 1900 foot
production, over 120, 600 feet were
used The Adventure" Chaplin
picture just released, measures in the
over 10000 feet were used in the
negative before it was trimmed down
10 exhibition length on top OF the
raw material tax, comes one OF IL
cent a foot for every positive print
that is made Although the general
war tax law does not hit the NOV
ing picture theaters until November
/, the exchanges have already begun
adding TO the exhibitors burdens BY
a reel tax So all OF the taxes Of
L-DA Ad-- Oh Ll-E l-4EAAEL W AAEA-
VIII Ruin Owners.
After paying these taxes which in
many cases viii absolutely ruin the
owners, there is the excess profit
which is figured back to January,
1917, and which is determined by
business prior to the war period In
most cases, this will not hurt very
much except where there have been
army camps for the war has not in
creased the picture show business ex-
cept in scattering cases. The income
tax viii also take some more OF the
moving picture show profits. If any
remain.
The local exhibitors are using their
pencils in vain efforts to evolve some
plan TO save themselves one exhi-I
bitOr stated that many nights, which
TO the public look like big money
barely get them by owing
to the constantly increasing rental OF
films and that nights that this month
show a few dollars profit, next month
VIII show a decided loss II the shows
stand the tax The legislators, how
ever, have given the moving picture