Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-16

On, boy, painted Mr.. Common Cfti-
zen. sinking into a seat on a Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company
car going west from the Union sta
ton. late on the evening of May 1.
1919. the man who invented taxes is
the cute little thing, especially these
war taxes"
He famed himself with a brand
new Panama hat.
What's the matter with the taxes
now" asked his neighbor who had
Just come in from the west after a
three-day trip
demanded Mr.. Common Citizen. Don't
you know that this is May 1, 1919. and
well. look at this hat. 1t amt so
much to look at. just a common, or
binary $3.50 Panama hat; and look at
this necktie that would have set me
back Just $500 yesterday The hat
cost me S7-75 and the necktie S3.10. l
asked the clerk what he meant by
sticking 25 cents onto the price of
the hat and 10 cents onto the necktie.
Clerk Has the Documents.
He just looked at me and smiled
and then he got out a little printed
slip.
'' These said he. are the new war
taxes. effective today
You don't say / came back at
him; maybe you don't know it, but the
war has been over for six months. Presi-
dent Wilson said so last December.
The war may be over he said to
me. but you haven't quit paying the
bill for il yet
He went on to say that these charges
were the 10 per cent tax on Injuries
Luxuries, ! said, amt | got right
TO wear hat and necktie without
somebody's calling 'em luxuries?
Yes, he said, you got right to
wear hat and a necktie, but if you
don't want them classed as luxuries you
buy hat that don't cost more than s.
and a necktie that don't cost more
than So"
Mr. c. c. hitched himself forward in
his seat
The Family's Troubles
Say. friend" he said to the traveller
from the west. that was early this
morning. / learned lot since then.
This is the day my wife and the Riddles
came down town to get their outfit for
the summer. They are going away for
a trip in few days The trouble is they
didn't go last week.
3 well, we started right in to get
what was wanted / tried to explain
about the war tax to my wife, and
she said: 4 think you ought to be
glad to pay it any way, to help those
daughter wanted new hats right off
the bat My wife picked out a sim
pie little thing that was marked $40.
That means S2o.5o.' I explained to
her. oh, don't bother So she said.
any one would think you didn't have
so cents
MY daughters hat cost $40 and
there wasn't nickel of war tax on
It, because 1t cost less than SIS. My
boy got cap for So. though, and the
tax was 10 cents. The next thing we
tackled was a parasoi for my wife
She found a pink one that set me
back IS, and a 10-cent tax went on to
that
In the Shoe Department.
We jumped to the shoe depart
ment, and there I got or fairly easy,
for unless you paid more than $40 for
"a pair of shoes there wasn't any tax
The boy and girl each got shoes at
So. and my wife picked up one pair
Eat SO and another at sl2, only 20
scents on the lot.
MY wife wanted a new trunk. one
OF the kind that you hang things in
and use for a closet in one of these
= by rooms at a summer resort
She picked out a dandy for $50 and
4 paid 81 tax on 1t. You see, any
.sffunk over $50 is a luxury.
Next we bought stockings, petit
coats and waists, nightgowRs and
=underwear. and I found that every
lime you paid more than 81 pair for
etockings, or 50. If they were silk.