Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-09
CONGRESSMAN M0ORE'S
LETTER
Activities Of James D. Bonner-Warn-
ing Against Luxury Tax Swim
diine--coionei T. e. Mur.
phys BenevoIenoes
Washington, April 0.

o. "A '"o"hA&svns fhB'h ".
TT THE next loan drive is to be the last
l. as Secretary Glass announces, 1T will
mean the disbandment of large part OF the
McAdoo- Glass organization, which began
with the putting over of the first Liberty
Loan. This patriotic outfit consists Of
banks, soldiers sailors, lecturers, artists,
actors, business mems associations, women's
clubs, moving picture shows, flags, regalia,
songs aud hundred and one devices for at
tracing public attention and producing re-
suits. In Philadelphia, as in other large
cities, the Federal Reserve, system has been
tpe chief instrumentality through which the
work has been DONE The next drive in
Philadelphia will be in the hands of such
men as Puscy Passmore and John ii. Mason.
The latter is president of the Commercial
Trust Company. He Is a popular speaker
and had an experience in the newspaper
world before becoming q banker that will
help him make the campaign an interesting
one. Washington also notes the activity Of
Joseph Pcnnell in promoting these loan
drives. His International art reputation is
appreciated here as much as it is in his
home city--perhaps more. Apart from that,
he is the brother. in law of Ned Robins,
of the University of Pennsylvania. "
JAMES 3. BONNER, who used to work
- with Jack I!olton and the other high
lights of the Maritime Exchange, is now
almost a fixture at the capital. Mrs. Bon
ner Joined him here in the earlier stages
Of the war and has become quite accustomed
to the social life of the capital. In all the
war negotiations steel played a very i'm
portant. indeed, an essential, part. Big
brains appeared in all the departments and
big orders had to be met promptly. Jim
Bonner's job was to speak for the Farrells
and the Garys when they were not on the
ground and to maintain birdseyc view OF
the whole steel situation. 1t is no exag-
geration to say that there we're times of
crises in supplies when Bonner was as well
come in the Army and Navy Departments
as would be some long lost brother. Z, He is
still here, with plenty to do The steel in
terests have contracts to be completed, sup
plies to be furnished, rates to be fixed and
labor conditions to be met, and not the least
of these is the latter, for all interests are
now eagerly scanning the labor world.
COMPLAINTS about luxury taxes"
~ which take effect May l. are coming
along in such form as to indicate that there,
is much misunderstanding. if not some down
right Misrepresentation, as to what these
taxes mean. One Philadelphia lady writes
that the merchant with whom she deals says
she VIII De opilScu hereafter 10 pay taxes on
n bill of 81. This is q sample of the shame
less excuses that some dealers are giving for
conscencelcss profteerins. There is no
tax on mcn's clothing or women's dresses,
and yet some tailors are running prices up
almost double ION account of the taxes
The truth is that certain articles are to be
taxed when the price, exceeds certain
amount. In such cases the purchaser pays
the tax to the merchant at the time of sale
and the merchant in due course pays the
tax over to the government To illustrate,
if woman buys a hat costing more than
$1J she pays the merchant 10 per cent on the
excess price over $15. If man buys hat
for more than So he pays 10 per cent on
the excess price. If the woman's hat costs
SIS or less or the mans hat costs S5 or
less neither Of them pays any tax, and the
merchant who collects it is liable to punish
mcnt for doing So. To stop this kind of
cxtortiou the law (Sectiou 1870 imposes
fine Of $1,000 or imprisonment for one year
: upon those who make false statements to
customers about the tax on goods sold 1t
is, therefore. up to the customer to see that
he, or she, is not deceived about this tax
business.
IT'S Il nice thing to be able to help other
l. people. And Colonel Thomas T.. Murphy
is one of that kind. Fortune has been kind
to Colonel Tom but he has not been selfish
on that account. if he is in Philadelphia
or Pittsburgh or New York, and he is fairly
well at home in each place, the colonel is
found at work on some charitable or public
spirited proposition. IL he iG sojourning at
his summer place on Bogue Sound, on the
east coast of Florida, he is shipping grape
fruit or oranges to the hospitals, and il in
Washington. along with his brother in law,
Governor johnson (when not in France). he
is doing his turn with becoming modesty in
society and statccraft Colonel Tom s
latest love is that worthy association, the
Kensingtop Hospital Tor Women, on Dia :
mond street near Front au institution set
up in an unpretentious neighborhood, where
there is real need for it's services. And
it is agreeable, to note the kind of men who
are co operating with the colonel in this
splendid work-Willam II. Ellison, Max :
well Wyeth, William Findlay Brown. Sam
uel b. Stinson Samuel NJ. Clement, Jr.,
Haseltine Carstairs, Charles A. Porter, Jr.,
Florence ]. Hoppe and DIR. Harry C.
Dcaver. One can almos. see that interest
ing group assembled around one lunch table
at the Union League. BUT bright as they
are and as ready to help their fellow men
and women, Colonel Tom Murphy is still
two points ahead in having the celebrated
temperance lecturer, Francis Murphy, for q
father and the late Lieutenant Governor
Robert e. Murphy for brother
~
WE RECEIVE occasional reports from
Wv the Masonic Home, at Elizabethtown
| but generally about this time of year, wheu
| the landscape and vegetable gardeners gel
busy, Champ Clark talks about getting bacl
to his garden when his public service come.
| to an end He has place at Bowlini
| Green which is very dear to him. jim
Mann, of Illinois, whose influence Nicl
Longworth is bent upon destroying, has {
| garden in Chicago to which he longs to re.
turn. This is where the veteran Masons O
Pennsylvania, under the lead Of Superior
Court Justice George b. Orlsdy, have tn,
bulge on the statesmen. They are already a
work in their gardens. George w. Kendrick
! Jr., was as proud Of the Masonic Home OF
North Broad street as of any other insti
tuition with which he was connected durin,
his long fraternal career. Justice Orlad,