The Washington herald., 1918-10-24
FLU WORKS I'LL
TO INDUSTRIES
Holland Discusses Ravages
of Epidemic-Proposed
Tax on Checks,

lsst week Of some of those who are OF
Importance In the world Of finance and
banking, the suggestion was made
that Q communication be sent to Sec
retary McAdoo that he would be jus-
tined in extending to another week
the campaign for the sale of the
Fourth Liberty Loan bonds. presum-
aoly some hint of this or possibly the
communication did reach Secre.nTy
McAdoo, for he. speaking info mall, 4,
stated that the loan would BE- closed
AZ the end OF the third weak, There
we're ceFtair diplomatic conS.dera-
e. tons. especially the effect in Ger
many OF the announcement that IL
was necessary TO extend the loan sub
-scFtption period beyond the first fixed,
which persuaded Secretary McAdoo
that Il would not be wise to extend
the tine.
otG reaxon alone INDIE ncsd thos q
who thought IT nighG e worth wbLe
10 make recommendation Of this
ktEd to secrstary acAdno. That
reason was the prevalence Of the sip
or influenza II came 20 knowledge OF
naDy Of those Who were serving rs
sales1en for tia honIs nct only IN
the New York d. -rtes. but lao in ave
or six other Federal districts that the
With their sale Of the bonds That
Vas true OF the Richmond district the
Kansas City district and especially OF
the Philadelphia district 1t was also
true Of the New York district.
Decreases Production.
But IL was not only in the retsrd-
ing influence upon the sale of lib
-erty bonds that the effect OF the in
nusnza epidemic was felt. In some
parts of the country II has caused
a decrease in production Of approx
.inately 80 per cent and in almost
every part of the country it has oc
essionCd more or less falling on in
production.
The loss in trade which the retail
merchants throughout the country
have met with has been in the ag-
sresats very large. The Impairment
of efficiency has also been notiGt
able. There never has been, in this
country, 50 the experts say. so COM
pI.te 4 domination by an epidemic.
Occasionally there have been very
fatal epidemics, but these have been
confined to restricted districts. Ty
phoid. sometimes. of an exceedingly
violent character, has occasionally
prevailed in certain restricted areas
The yellow fever epidemics, OF which
the latest and presumably last was
in the Lower Mississippi Valley more
than a generation ago, have bean
completely mastered
At the Rockefeller Institute OF Re
search some of the men of science
fhere employed are beginning what
"a to be an exhaustive, and it is
hoped a successful. study OF the ma
ture OF the disease and the means
of iIs prevention or the mastery Of
u. The experts think that the fact
that the epidemic has spread over
many parts OF the world will lead
to patient and exhaustive stud 50
that efficient methods OF combating
u when II again -appears. may. DE
discovered -.-...
stamp Tak on Cheeks.
Many persons have urged Congress
to include in the revenue tax bill a
clause providing for the imposition
Of stamp tax represented by a two
cent stamp placed upon every check
or draft before payment upon the
check or draft can be made. Word
comes from Washington that the
Senate committee Is favorably dis
posed towards this proposition.
Nevertheless the Senate may reject
Il. not because the tax would not
bring in a large, revenue. but because
IL may be deemed inexpedient to
adopt a measure Of that kind.
One OF the reasons why this tax
is deemed inexpedieRt by some OF
those who have given careful con-
sidsration to the proposition, is based
upon the enormous increase in the
use OF checks. Congress did impose
a two-cent stamp tax upon checks at
the time the reyenue bill was per-
feeted TO meet the extraordinary ex-
penses oCcasiOned by the war with
Spain. But that was twenty years
ago and the use of checks has in
creased many hundred fold since that
day
Use of Checks Vastly Increased.
Now frequently wages are paid in
checks. Persons OF small means are
abe to keep bank accounts, although
the balances are not large. and they
use checks IN payment OF all their
expenses, excepting those which they
meet by small change carried on the
person. This remarkable increase OF
the use OF checks has been of great
value in expanding credit within wise
limitations.
Many corporations and business