Connecticut western news., 1918-08-08
MORE TAXES ON TOBAC-
co AND ADJUSTMENTS
Mail Order Houses, Billiard
and Pool Rooms Pay Addi-
tionaI Taxes

Doubling of the present special
taxes on manufacturers of tobacco,
cigars and cigarettes and increased
taxation of brokers, theaters, and
other amusements, billiard and pool
parlors, bowling alleys and capitali-
zation of corporations, were agreed
on by the House ways and means
committee today in framing the
| $8,0OO,000,000 revenue bill. A new
tax of 1 per cent. on retail sales of
mail order houses doing more than
100000 annual business was adopt
ed, Pullman seats and berths and
passenger rates will be subject to
uniform tax of per cent. Stamp
taxes were undisturbed.
Chairman Kitchin, after the COM
mittee adjourned, summarized the
situation as follows
eve have put tax of 1 per cent
on retail sales of mail order houses
that have above 100000 annual
business. We have increased the
special taxes. Brokers now under a
special tax of $50 will pay an annual
tax of 500 and if they are members
of stock exchange, or board of
trade engaged in buying and selling,
will pay $3.50 annually. We have
increased the tax on pawnbrokers
from $50 to 500; ship brokers from
$40 to $50; custom house brokers
from $40 to $50.
"Theaters, including moving pic
ture shows, museums and concert
halls having seating capacity of
not over $50 people, will pay an
annual tax increased from $25 to
$50; seating capacity between 25 and
500 increased from $50 to 500; 500
to 500 seating capacity increased
from $75 to $3.50, and all over 800
capacity, increased from 500 to
$500 annual tax. We have doubled
the present special taxes on theaters,
circuses, bowling alleys, billiard and
pool places, and on manufacturers of
tobacco, cigars and cigarettes.
1--WE have put new special tax
on sales of seats on stock market
and produce exchanges of 10 per
cent. on the sale price of the seats,
and on annual dues of these ex-
changes a tax of 20 per cent. on
the amount of the dues. This is to
put them on the same basis as clubs
and other organizations already put
under tax.
Pullman seats and berths are,
under present law, taxed 10 per
cent. of the amount paid for tickets
or coupons. We today agreed to
make the tax on both of these
per cent. This was at the request
of the director general of railroads.
who wanted the taxes on them made
the same to simplify the mileage
coupons about to be issued. We i'm
posed tax of 10 per cent. on the
sales of yachts. We considered the
stamp taxes in the present law and
they will remain as at present"
Mr.. Kitchin announced that under
the action of the committee so far
the excise taxes would produce
about 81, 100000, which includes
beer, whiskey, automobiles, soft
drinks, gasoline owners and similar
taxable subjects. This is about one
half of the amount allotted to COM
monty termed luxuries and non-es-
sentials, but Mr.. Kitchin said the
allotted $4,000 100000 under this
head would be levied.
Taxation of tobacco manufac-
turers, but not retail dealers, was
considered by the committee. The
tobacco schedule as adopted, provides
that sixty days after the passage of
the new law and thereafter on July l
of each year, a special tax computed
on the basis of sales of the producing
fiscal year will be made as follows:--
Tobacco manufacturers with an
nual sales not exceeding $4,000
pounds, Sc a year, $4,000 to 10000
pounds, SIP; 100000 to 100000
pounds, $24; all in excess of 100000
pounds, 16 cents a thousand pounds;
cigar manufacturers with annual
sales not exceeding $4,000 cigars, "a
not exceeding 100000 cigars, Sc;
not exceeding 100000 cigars, SIP;
not exceeding 100000, $24; all above
100000, 10 cents a thousand cigars;
cigarette manufacturers, including
small cigars weighing not more than
three pounds thousand, 3 cents for
every 10000.
Proposals that tax of one-half
of 1 per cent. be imposed on gross
sales of chain stores and per
cent. tax be laid on goods manu-
featured by concerns employing
child labor, under certain standard
ages, were rejected. A proposal to
tax cotton was rejected almost un-
animously.