New Britain herald., 1919-05-10
THOUSANDS SIGN
 REPEAL PETITION
Soda Water, Soft Drink and Ice Cream Tax Decidedly Unpopular

New York, May 10.-Hundreds of thousands oi people throughout the country are signing the petition to congress for the repeal of the soda water, soft drink and ice cream tax. Since the soda fountain association was formed in New York a few days ago for the express purpose Of fight ing this discriminating tax, it has re-
 ceiVed promise of cooperation from
 many organizations throughout the
 United States and it has been decid-
 cdly active, sending out broadcast
 several million petition blanks and
 explanatory literature to soda foun-
 tain proprietors. Local associations
 in various cities have been or are be-
 ing formed to affiliate With the soda
 fountain association. M. l.. Morgen-
 thau, brother of the former ambas-
 sador to Turkey is chairman ot tue
 executive committee, with headquar-
 ters at 431 Hudson street, New York
 city. Members of the association in
 clude the foremost wholesale and re-
 tail candy and soft drink merchants.
 Under the new regulations, glass
 of plain milk (which is essentially food in liquid form) is not taxable,
 but if an egg (which is also food) is
 mixed with it tho concoction is tax 1 of the questions the public would like answered. Cold matted milk is taxed, but if heated by steam or otherwise, the tax need not be paid. Why should the addition of heat eliminate taxation l in this case? Plain grape juice can be sold at the fountain without tax. but if the purchaser wishes it diluted with water or carbonic, a tax must be 1 paid, because it becomes, according to 1 the law, Q, "miNed drink.
 These are but a few examples Of | the idiosyncrasies of the new regula- l ton. The tax is 10 per cent of the 1 price Of the beverage and the law re- uuires the purchaser, not the dealer, 1 to pay it. Thus the matter of account l ing becomes a most intricate one for l tho dealer, for daily returns of sales must be made. listing separately the , number of ), TO- 15, 20-cent and more 1 costly drinks sold. Where the law discriminates unfair l ly, in the opinion of the association, is
 that while the buyer must pay a tax l on ice cream and soft bevera ges at a, 1 soda fountain, he or she may order 1 the same thing in a restaurant or ho- l tel and not be obliged to pay a tax | Thus the child of the poorer districts 1 who have a one-cent lem Onade or ice | cream from a stand, must pay,a One- , cent tax to the goNernm ent-a tax of 1 100 per cent! The child of a family | of means can walk into a hotel or res l taurant and have lemonade served (of 1 possibly better quality) and pay no ] tax. If people were asked to pay in a 1 hotel the same rate of tax on bever | age that the child of the tenements is l required to~paN at a cheap soda water stand, there would be no end of pro l test.
 1 The Soda Fountain association IS 1 circulating posters and literature with 1 the petitions which arc to be put be- 1 fore the special session of congress on 1 May 9. States and cities in which no 1 organization now exists are urged to | form local associations of soda foun- 1 tain interests and literature and suf1i l cicnt material is obtainable without 1 expense by writing to the New, York address, 431 Hudson street. ,.