Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-31
10 PER CENT TAX
ON AUTOMOBILES
Assessment Will Be Collected on
the Gross Sales of
Manufacturer.
PHONOGRAPHS ALSO TAXED
Committee Also Doubles Admis-
sions to Theaters, Operas
and Movies.

WASHINGTON July 30.-A tax Of 10
per cent on the sale price Of all auto
MOBILES was written into the new reve-
nue. OH by the Ways and Means Com
mittce to-day. Motor trucks on ac-
count of their great usefulness in war
work. are 10 be taxed only per cent.
Tne tax is to De collected on the gross
sales of the manufacturer. producer or
importer.
Included also in the 10 per cent
schedule will be player pianos. graphic
phones. Photographs. talking machines
sporting goods. including baseball bats.
golf clubs. fishing rods and reels. pool
and billiard tables, perfumes. cosmetics.
tonics. proprietary medicines and cam
cras. All of these except cosmetics ano
proprietary medicines arc now taxed
3 per cent.
The automobile tax. according TO es-
Inmates submitted by the Treasury De-
partment. will produce about sT0.00o.-
600. The per cent tax now in force
is calculated to yield about S32, 900. 900
during the current fiscal year
In addition to the 10 per cent tax
agreed upon to-day Chairman K!tchin
authorized the announcement that the
committee Will impose another tax.
which will be collected from the user
of the automobile. This tax. which has
been only tentatively discussed. will be
in the nature Of Federal license. COL
!ectible from the user of the car in the
same manner as State licenses are now
issued. Mr.. Kitchin declined TO make
any prediction as TO how high these
rates might run, although the Treasury
Department has recommended a scale
Of from $40 to $50, according to the
cost price of the car
PLACES OF AMUSEMENT
TO HELP RAISE REVENUE
Other taxes agreed upon to-day by
admission tax to theaters operas. mo-
ton picture shows and similar places
OF amusement The present tax is 10
per cent; under the revised schedule
1t would be 20 per cent.
This tax applies TO all admissions or
10 cents or over. To get at the smaller
priced houses. the committee tentatively
decided TO impose a tax of cent Oh
all admissions where the maximum
charge does not exceed cents. Under
the existing Law. all moving picture
shows, thcaters and other amusemen,s.
~
cecd ) cents. are exempt from the tax.
The new tax would exact l cent from
every admission up to and including
cents.
In deciding upon this tax. the com
mittee took into consideration that
the 1-cent or scent show is essentially
a poor mans show" But it was felt
that those who could not afftvd TO pay
greater admission than cents would
no: be contributing anything TO the
government as income tax or excess
profits tax anyway. and il was the con-
sensus of opinion that the patrons of
these cheaper shows could we'll afford
TO contribute one cent TO the govern
ment's needs.
The committee decided TO place
heavy tax upon all kinds OF firearms,
including Il prohibitivc tax OF 100 per
cent on dirks stilettos. sheath knives
and similar deadly weapons. The tax
on sho;suns and rifles was fixed L 10
per cent. and that on revolvers ana
pocket pistols at 25 per cent. The com
mittee decided upon this high rate on
pistols with the idea of discoura gins
their use as far as possible.
Kitchin announced that the commit
tee tomorrow will take up the luxury
tax suggestions recently submitted by
the Treasury Department.