The sun., 1918-10-10
SENATORS REVISE
TAXES ON LUXURIES
Finance Committee Cuts Levy
on Automobile Prices to
5 Per Cent.
CANDY TO PAY 10 P. C.
Ticket Scalpers Must Pay 90
Per Cent. on Excess Over
80 Cents Advance.
CANDY TO PAY 10 P. G.
SseciaI Despatch 10 THz ar,

SsecfdI Despotch TO TEE eus
wAsHrNoToN. Oct s.-Not even IN.
luxury taxes in the $4,000, 900 900 r.v,.
nue. bill as II passed the House escan.d
wholesale revision by the Senate Fl.
nance Committee. The committee. act.
ing on the principle of fairness rath.,
than Of having an arbitrary set Of tara
on so-called luxuries and semi-luxuries
added to-day to some taxes, made dra,.
tic cuts in others and passed over attn
others to attend to later.
The most important action TODAY bv
tho Finance Committee was reducing On.
tax on automobiles from 10 per cent n,
the selling price, as In the House bill IA
5 per cent. This tax applies to automo.
biles, parts, equipment motor truck,
tractors and trailers. The House h,s
imposed per cent. tax only on auto.
mobiles. trailers and the like used In in.
dustry On other machines and on ma.
torcycles the tax was fixed at the hish,,
rate by the House.
Gasoline Tax Held Up.
The House bill provision for n far a,
meet with the approval OF the committee
but was passed over for action at a
later date.
The committee also used the PRUNING
knife on the taxes on musical instru.
ments and wrote into the bill dfferen.
tial between pianos and hand organs and
mechanical players OF various sorts
canned" music was made an object OF
higher taxation than the real article,
Ticket scalpers for this reason will bs
suppressed by so per cent. tax on the
excess they charge above so cents ad.
ditional to the regular theatre charges
At the same time the tax on dues paid
for memberships In clubs and similar
social organizations was put back TO the
more reasonable basis of the existing
law-10 per cent In the House bill this
rate was fixed at 20 per cent
The prices in excess Of regular rates
charged by theatre managers for at.
fractions of extraordinary merit will be
taxed so per cent. under the rate adopted
by the committee to-day.
The committee struck from the HOUSE
bill the provision for a tax OF 20 per
cent. on dues Of members OF boards Of
trade. produce exchanges. chambers o,
commerce and similar commercial and
business organizations
The committee adopted a tax Of two
cents on every admission charged to
roof gardens and cabarets. The tax or
rates paid by holders Of opera boxes
and other fixed season tickets for amuse.
| ment was cut from 25 per cent, the
House rate. to 20 per cent.
Chewing Gum to Pay 4 Per Cent.
The tax on excess rates charged BY
theatre ticket agencies. including hotel
| news stands, fixed by the House bill a.
. per cent. was advanced to 10 per cent
by the Finance Committee on excess
charges of SO cents or less.
The House had fixed on chewing gum
! rate Of per cent. which the Senate
set at per cent, double the existing
tax
The tax on cameras fixed under the
| House bill at 10 per cent, with higher
taxes on apparatus weighing more than
| 100 pounds to the camera, was made uni.
form through striking out the weigh,
provision.
Pipe organs were especially mentioned
In the paragraph and all taxes thereon
were removed. 1t was the opinion OF
the committee that pipe organs generally
were church property.
! The House tax on candy of 10 per
cent. was ratified by the committee.
| With slight alterations in the phrase
ology, the House schedule of taxes on
firearms and firearm ammunition was
| adopted. fixing the tax on pistols and
revolvers and their accessories at 2j per
cent. and the rate on rifles and shot.
guns and their ammunition and findings
at 10 per cent.
! The committee adopted the House pro-
vision that after November /, 1915, there
should be levied q sales tax of 20 per
cent on articles of personal wear or
household necessity where the price ex-
ceeded normal rates for such articles.
Largely the House rates were acceptable
to the Senate but the following changes
were adopted. making the bill even
more drastic.
Baggage Above $1S Taxed.
The price paid for trunks above SIS,
instead OF $50, as in the House bill Is
to be taxed. Falises. handgrps, suit
cases and such hand baggage costing
more than SIS. instead of s2J, as in the
House bill, are to be taxed Pocket
books. shopping bags and such articles
are to be taxed on the excess Of their
cost above IS, instead OF $3.50, as the
House fixed the figure.
The committee adopted practically all
the House schedule in regard to taxes
on wearing apparel
The committee decided 10 apD,v TIE
semi-luXury tax on mems and hoNs' hats
costing more than sc instead o. $ as IN
the House bill. Similarly the tax is not
to apply to caps costing over s., as me
House voted. but to caps costing over 81
Consideration OF the luxury and SENT