The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-29
UNCLE SAN WILL
DIP into YOUR
PURSE THURSDAY
New War Tax Measure Eff
fective and Will Hit You
From Many Sides
MULTITUDE OF
THINGS LEVIED
Nation Will Have Another
Chance To Experience
War Sensations

Fargo people, in common with all
the others throughout the United
States, are going to be reminded
more forcibly that their country is at
war, starting next Thursday.
There is an old saying that a man
can be reached quicker by touching
his pocketbook than in any other
way. That's just what the war
revenue bill, which goes into effect
Thursday does. 1t touches the pock-
etbook Of nearly everyone.
OF course, it doesn't mean that the
people are going to grumble and
complain. They are not. But 1t does
mean that in the little things pur--
chased every day, in the mailing of
letters and other every day common
places, there will be the ever present
reminder that Uncle Sam Is at war
and that his people are paying part
of the bills.
Most of the provisions of the war
tax bill go into effect on Nov. /. AL
most everything is taxed. True, some
of the taxes-many of them-are lev
led on the manufacturers. But that
simply means that the purchasers
will pay in the long run.
Railroad tickets, letters. musical
instruments, cosmetics. automobiles,
sporting goods. toys, theatre tickets,
and so on down the line, will be hit
by the tax. Incomes? Yes, incomes.
Estates? Yes, estates. In fact, the
lawmakers have gone the whole
gamut.
New Excuse for Increases.
ION account Of the war tax" will
be a stock reason for many increases.
1t will be repeated many times a day
by dealers in explaining to question
ing customers. ....
to pay more for their tastes now that
the war revenue tax bill goes into
effect.
To be sure, the 3 per cent tax is
called a tax on the sales Of manu-
facturers. But that little per cent
tax is going to be paid by the con-
sumers in the final analysis.
Manufacturers OF monographs,
pianoIas and musical instruments Of
all kinds have already increased their
prices. The increases mount in some
cases as high as 10 per cent. Those
increases will take care of the per
cent tax and also additional costs of
manufacture that may have arisen in
the past few months.
Now in the case Of photograph
records 1t is different. So far. the
dealers are not announcing increased
prices. The manufacturers are going
to pay the per cent and not increase
prices, at least that is the informa-
ton that has come to dealers here.
Tax Hits Motorists.
The lovers of motoring will also
feel the war revenue. The manufac-
turers are going to be taxed 3 per
cent on the selling price Of an auto
mobile. IN turn. the dealers win have
10 pay 3 per cent additional and, once
more in turn. the ultimate buyer will
pay per cent additional. The tax
applies to machines sold from now
on.
Everyone who takes out insurance
policies of any kind from now on will
feel that there is a war on too. They
may not feel it very hard, but there
viii be some slight evidence.
On life insurance policies there is
to be a tax of cents on each 500
In the policy. For instance IL a man
takes out $1,000 policy he will pay,
In addition to the regular premium,
30 cents war tax.
The fire insurance policy tax
amounts to ] cent on each 81 prem
ium paid. Information on the man
ner in which the tax Is to be applied
has not come from the treasury de-
partment yet The fire insurance
companies may pay the tax, since 1t
Is so slight, without placing 1t upon
the shoulders of the consumer. POLL
cies Of reinsurance are not taxable.
Sad Voiced Cosmetics Clerk.
The cosmetics clerk, with a depre-
eating, altruistic smile, already is
saying sadly: We've raised the price
q little because" First, Il was the
increased cost of raw materials
then 1t was that the cute little glass
containers, fancy-shaped to add to
the effectiveness of milady's dressing
table, had scared in price-then. la
Dor became scarce-and now it's the
war tax.
And the women don't complain
much. Dealers say that when a wo-
man has used a certain brand OF
toilet article for several years she
will buy 1t in spite OF the price. I'm
ported though the ingredients be, she
Is sure that this brand and this brand
alone is responsible for her soft skin
or silky hair, and she must have it.
The SO per cent increase in the
price Of alcohol has doubled the SELL
ing price of perfumes and essences.
Home manufactured fragrance can
be bought for so cents an ounce, but
the very latest imported Russian es-
sence is being sacrificed for the mod
est sum of three ounces for SIS.
Girl and Powder Puff.
The 2 per cent increase will raise
the retail prices of most 26 cent ar
ticles to 80 or 35 cents, the 50-cent
articles to so or SIS cents, and 81 arr
ticles to $3.50 or SIPS. Every time
a girl dips her powder pun in the
costly substance and daintily whisks
1t across her nose, it's going to In
crease Uncle Sans revenue.
Hair dressings, pOmades, hair re-
storatiyes and hair dyes. also, are
taxed and the man who scorns to be
Stingy when alarmed about the loss
of his hair, now must pay almost
double the former price.
Filling the stockings of Young
America on Christmas eve Is going
to be an expensive proposition. The
man who contemplates playing a
Santa Claus role this year to sons
and daughters, nieces and nephews,
will find 1t necessary to execute
strategic movements in his imper-
sonation of the e-whiskered. red
coated Joy dispenser, to avoid dis
astrous results to even the most
hamT&hxs ~ % r.a4ran