The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-03-14
THOUSANDS Of KID" STARS
INNOCENT VICTIMS Of TAX
PUT On BASEBALL GOODS

together and scratch up $40. They they
20 70 the bank and get a SO gold piece
and fix up rattle. q hundred and htty
tickets at quarter apiece. The urse
kid takes the gold piece and a commit
tee Of two is named to see that ne
doesn't abscond or lose it. He takes II
home, shows it all over the nelSnooF"
hood and sells chances to his dad. ms
uncles and his friends. Then the next
kid takes it. and so on until the Sao 10
raised. Then a committee OF twelve -
appointed to go shopping Tor unhorlns'
and they visit every sporting sooos
store in town before they buy
If they don't work it that way. they
gang on some good-natured !shop-
keeper and persuade him to buy the
uniforms for them, and in return they
call the team "Krajatckis Giants
The first uniformed team l ever Do
longed to was tbs "Hustlers. We weFe
ar an age when 25 cents made US 1ee
like Rockefellers. You know, II 3ou'
ever been a kid. that you can't haVe
team work and team spirit without
green and yellow or white ana oiue
uniform just alike on each klo' w
had, to have uniforms and not ono W
US had any money lett, as the Ci1 0os
had been to town. We SWarmeo Oh
BUDDY" Dean, who operated the muck
ster business and shipped eges and poul-
try seeking advice and consolation. ae
offered to finance US to the extent OIL
sa5 if wo would promise to bring MIN
!, s25 worth of eggs and poultry IN lne
next month.
There wasn't a hens nest in Hills
horo safe for weeks. Sharphead wiped
out the last Of the debt by sw1ping
Eaildeday, his dads best rooster ana
our white cotton uniforms with req
stripes down the legs and req anu
white caps and stockings. made US
hall team. We licked the town team
twice that summer.
Our kick is that tho government
meant to tax big leagues and the
"sportsmen" and hit US kids We ain t
sporting goods" we're athletic goods
and necessities. The government mas
said it wants us kids to take part IN
athletics and develop and then hanos
US 10 per cent wallop
A big majority Of US laid Off base
hail snd tennis, football, basketballHnd
!. other games during the war. I'VE
couldn't have bought the. stuff il weo
had time to play. The factories were
too busy making stuff for the troops
to make much for US. and pcsioes we
weren't allowed to play. Even YET the
government ltSell Will Pe1S ~ 'NS~
bie part of the tax. Just last week
there was a shipment Of 100000 worth
of athletic equipment to the soldiers
who either got soIO,0oo worth or paid
sS3o,OO0 for 100000 worth
! Before the war. there were estimated
RI be $4,000 uniformed amateur ano
semi-pro teams in the United states,
Their uniforms and bats and balls must
have averaged $50 team each season
That is over a. million dollar s. Pr1ces
bava advanced at least 20 per cent.
and on top Of that they want to tax US
10 per cent. more.
Don't think we are kicking on help
ing Uncle Sam II he needs our help'
Won know US kids better than tnat'
But 1t amt fair to soak us so hard we
cant get baseballs. bats and uniforms.
III leave it to any kid in the crowd II
il is.
tcopyrisht. 1919. by the Bell syndl-
cate. Inc.)