Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-19
CAN, MARsHALLTOwN, IOWA, APRIL 10 1919
Sodas n Everything
to Be Taxed May l

Garry a few extra pennies in your
pockets after May J.
Uncle sam liz going to take them
away from you to help pay for the
war.
Every time you spend dime NJ
soda fountain or ice cream parior on
and after May you'll have TO throw
an extra penny on the counter 10 pay
the war tax.
Many soda fountains which charged
Is cents for sodas and sundacs during
the war have reduced the price back TO
10 cents. but you're likely soon TO see
signs over their fountains reading:
"Sodas and sundacs now II cents.
The tax on ice cream and soft drinks
IL only one of the many which go into
effect under the revenue act on May
|. The most important of these are the
So called luxury taxes which were
written into the revenue bill before II
became apparent 10 our congressman
that they were unnecessary.
Repeating Measure Talked to Death.
An attempt was made to pass q bin
repeating them before congress ad-
joui-. led, but it was one of the bills
talked to death in the filibuster. 1t
il likely that the luxury taxes will
be repealed during the coming special
session, but until then We'll have 10
pay em.
They call these luxury taxes" but
the commodities taxed are by no
means all Injuries. Congress intend
ed the taxes to fall on the ri0h and the
well-to- do people Of the country, but
some of them will fail just as heavily
on the great 80 per cent of the popula-
ton represented by the middle classes
and the poor.
Take, for instance, the tax on med
ictnes. After May /. you'll have to
pay a tax OF ! per cent for each 20
cents worth of proprietary medicines
you buy, whether they are pills, tab
lets. powders, syrups. tonics, plasters,
salves or ointments. If you pay 81
for a bottle OF medicine, you'll pay
cents tax.
The same tax will apply to tooth
powders, hair dyes. hair restoratives,
toilet waters, perfumes and other
toilet articles.
The tax on other "luxuries" is n9t
so heavy as that on medicines, toilet
articles and beverages. The reason
for this is that, while the tax is 10 per
cent, il is imposed not on the entire
price Of the article taxed, but on that
part OF il III eActss &C q specified
amount.
For instance. carpets and rugs are
taxed 10 per cent on the amount you
pay over 50 q square yard. That is
if you buy ten square yards of carpet,
or $50, you viii pay no tax. But if
you pay Sc a square yard for ten yards,
or $50. you will be taxed on that extra
dollar a yard Thus you will pay $50
a yard. or SCI for the ten yards.
Movies Are Taxed Some More.
Another luxury tax" that Will nit
the poor after May is that on NOV
ing pictures, which requires every per
son leasing moving picture films for
exhibition to pay a monthly tax of
per cent of the amount his films pro-
duce in rentals. This tax. OF course.
will be added to that already being
paid by the public on admissions TO
moving picture theaters. In many
cases it Will double the price of movie
tickets.
These new taxes are in addition to
many others which went into effect
on April l. Prominent among these
is the tax of 5 per cent of the total
price paid on all articles of jewelry.
Still other luxury" taxes, which
affect wealthy people principally. but
here and there dig into the pockets OF
the poor have been paid ever since
the revenue ect was approved by the
president in March. These include the
e. Of al
prices:
Automobiles, per cent.
Automobile accessories, per cent.
Musical instruments and records,
per cent.
Sporting goods. 10 per cent.
Chewing gum. 3 per cent.
Candy, per cent.
Cameras, 10 per cent.
Photographic films and plates, 3 per
cent.
Firearms and ammunition, 10 per
cent.
Hunting knives, 10 per cent.
Portable electric fans, per cent.
Thermos bottles. per cent.
Cigar and cigaret holders, humi-
doris. smoking stands, 10 per cent.
Slot machines, per cent.
Livery uniforms, 10 per cent.
Hunting or riding habits. 10 per
cent.
Fur clothing and furs, 10 per cent.
Toilet soaps, 3 per cent
Pleasure boats, 10 per cent
Paintings and statuary, 10 per cent.
Then there are the taxes on alco-
holic drinks. and the taxes on cigars,
cigaIets and tobacco, which every user
has been paying since the law took
effect
Not to speak of the income excess
profits and war profits taxes, theatef
taxes and various others which we
are all paying Uncle Sam to help pay