The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-05-14
TAX ON CANDY
IS SUBJECT Of
MUCH PROTEST
Campaign Is Started for Its
Repeal
FEAR OvERPRODUCTION
National confectioners' Association
Meet in Springfield-PreIim-
inaries Arranged
FEAR OvERPRODUCTION

Springfield, March IA warning
against overproduction in the candy
field and the launching of campaign
to secure the repeal of the per cent
excise tax on candy and the special
tax on ice-cream and soft drinks, will
constitute two of the main features
OF the program of the convention Of
the national confectioners' association
OF the United States, which is meet
ing here for four days. This years
convention promises to be the largest
in the history of the organization and
last night 725 reservations were re.
ported. Preliminary executive and
other committee sessions we're held
yesterday.
The particular danger Of overpro-
duction of candy, according to Pres
ident r. r. Cleeland lies during the
few months intervening before the
business is adjusted to a peace basis.
With all restrictions removed on
sugar the first impulse is to greatly
increase production, which has been
curtailed during the war. The large
profits that were made during the
war because OF restrictions on the
output led many new manufacturers
to enter the field, which constitutes
the greatest danger of present over
production. While it is felt that the
candy business will benefit along with
most other industries from the results
Of prohibition, because people will
have more money to spend, there
seems to exist no sentiment among
the representative of the candy in.
dustry that there will be any abnor.
NAL increase in candy consumption.
Explaining the proposed effort to
secure the repeal of the special taxes
on candy, ice-cream and soft drinks
at the next session of Congress. Wal
tter c. Hughes of Chicago, secretary
treasurer of the association, explained
that the association is taking this 10
,sition in regard to the tax for three
reasons becaise it isa6pposed to the
taxation of food products, because lit
is law which cannot be equitaby
enforced, and because It means Ia
double taxation on the candy manu-
facturers.
The plan of campaign for securing
the repeal OF the tax will consist In
getting in touch with the retailers
organizations throughout the country
for the purpose of circulating petit
tions for the public to sign, and also
by bringing pressure TO bear upon the
congressman and senators through
state organizations.
The association considers it unjust
| to tax any kind of food products and
classes candy, ice-cream. and soft
drinks among such products. Al
though the law makes the per cent
candy tax one that shall be paid by
manufacturers, it will be impossible
to enforce it equitably, because there
are so many retailers, dealers who
manufacture in small way in the
rear of their stores. II is estimated
that there are about $4,000 retail con-
'fectioners who are also manufacture
ers and who should pay this tax as
much as the large manufacturers. The
difficulty lies in the fact that they
manufacture in such small way that
the cost of collecting the tax would
amount to more than the revenue re-
ceived. with the result that these
small manufacturers would probably
get off without paying the tax, if they
were so disposed