Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-31

|
inc. casualty and other insurance
! policies.
Although the tobacco taxes do not
| become operative until Friday many
dealers have already advanced re-
tail prices in anticipation of the
leVies. Other taxes of the new law,
! including those on hard and soft
drinks, income and war excess profits
have been in effect since the law was
approved October 3, but in indirect
form.
On December l, the new stamp
taxes including those on parcel post
packages, will be payable, putting
| the entire law into complete oper-
alton, except for increased rates on
second class mail, postponed until
July l next.
Increase in first class mail rates
probably will be most generally felt
by the people. The law provides that
the postage on letters, except drop
or local letters, shall be cents; and
that on postcards, including private
mailing cards, shall be one cent more
than heretofore. This increase in
cludes so-called picture postcards.
The advances were made effective
thirty days after passage of the law
and are construed by the Post Office
Department to begin with letters and
postcards post-marked November 2.
Postal Increases
The increases also have been eX-
tended by department orders to first
class mail to many foreign countries,
which, under postal conventions,
have enjoyed the domestic rates. The
new. Scent letter rate, therefore, will
apply to letters to Canada, Cuba,
Mexico, Panama, England, Ireland,
Scotland, Wales, the Bahamas, Bar
badoesr British Guinea, British Hon.
duras, Santo Domingo, Dutch West
Indies, Leeward Islands, Newfound-
land and New Zealand. The post
| card increase will extend to Canada,
Cuba, Mexico and Panama, the only
countries which have enjoyed the
domestic postcard rate.
The consumers convenience, books
of postage stamps containing Scent
stamps are in readiness for sale and
the department has had printed
thousands of 2-cent postcards. First
class mail postmarked tomorrow or
any time prior to 1901 a. m. No
vember 2 regardless of time taken
for delivery, will be transmitted at
the old rates but that postmarked
thereafter must pay the increased
toll.
Amusement admission taxes be-
come effective tomorrow at places
charging more than five cents. They
are one cent for each ten cents or
fraction paid for such admission,
payable by the person admitted but
collected by the government from
the amusement proprietor, required
to make sworn returns to the Treas
ury. A fiat tax of one cent for each
child under IL admitted when chill
dren are charged also is provided.
Passes also are taxed, except those to
bona fide employees, municipal off,
GERS and children under 12, at the
regular rate, which also is extended
to cabarets or other entertainments
in which the admission is included in
the price paid for refreshments, mer-
chandise or service. Persons leasing
theater boxes must pay ten per cent.
on their rental.
Tobacco Up
The new rates on cigars range from
twenty-five cents to 81 per thousand
and on cigarets from eighty cents
to S1.20 per thousand. Five cents. a
pound is the new tax on tobacco,
snuff and other manufactured to-
bacco, while cigaret papers are tax
ed from IL cent to l cent per hun
dred. AS the taxes are now reaching
the ultimate consumer, the raises
mean about one cent more on five
cent tobacco packages, from two to
five cents on cigaret packages and
from one to ten cents on cigars.
The taxes on freight and passenger
transportation are also extended to
motor vehicle competitors of steam
and electric railways and water lines.
The passenger transportation tax is
not applicable to fares costing thirty
five cents or less or commutation or
season tickets for trips less than
thirty miles. Payments for services
rendered the Federal and state gov
ernments are exempt from taxation.
The ten per cent tax on Pullman
accommodations is applicable to pay
ments for seats, berths and state
rooms in parlor and sleeping cars or
on vessels.
The five-cent tax on telegraph,
telephone or radio messages costing
fifteen cents or more applies only
to those originating in the United
States.
Clubs whose dues are less than
$12 a year and fees to lodges are
exempt from the ten per cent tax on
club dues.
The new insurance taxes are inn
posed on new policies issued, with
reinsurance policies exempted. Indus
trial or weekly-payment policies are
taxed forty per cent on the first pre-
MUM on policies for $500 or less