New-York tribune., 1919-05-11

~ o'iOlhCi cSStiOI VI tue ldW III InelI
place of manufacture.' Further than
this the tax is laid on see cream, ice
cream sodas, sundaes, and other SINH
lar articles of food or drink.
when any of the above are sold for
consumption in or in proximity to
such places.'" .,,s sss
What You Must Do
A writer in "The Lincoln State
Journal attempts to go to the bot
tom of the matter and find out how
the tax will work, say, if the wash
erwoman wants to buy a $25 lamp
and who knows that she doesn't?
Anyway
GAS it now stands, if you want to
buy necktie for more than 81 you
must add 10 cents to the government
revenues for every dollar above that
amount that you pay. Likewise, if
your tender skin will not tolerate a
plebeian $3.50 nightgown, but requires
something in the $5 class or higher.
you are soaked an extra 10 per cent
on the excess. The downtrodden toiler
who buys trunk for more than $50
is penalized. The bent backed washer
woman who pays more than $25 for a
lamp or a lampshade must add to
Uncle Sans revenues for thus sup
plying herself with light. One may
not pay more than 81 for an umbrella
and escape the 10 per cent attentions
of the Treasury Department. Women's
stockings at So and over are subject
to similar oppressive exaction. The
hard working section hand who goes
above 81 for pair of socks is soaked
an extra 10 per cent on the extra price
for the benefit of the national treas
ury.
Come the cooling June pairs prepar-
ing for love in cottage, only to find
that they cannot pay more than So
yard for carpet without being subject
to the extra tax. The poorly paid
schoolma'am who puts more than s15
into petticoat is taxed for her trou
BILE. And whoever pays SIP for pair
of shoes must drop 20 cents in the slot
for Uncle Sam.
at is all pretty terrible. There is
comfort, however, in the fact that
there are worse taxes. Most taxes
cannot be escaped by any hook or crook
There is as yet way of escape from
these newest exactions. 1t is thus far
happily possible to buy q wearable
pair of socks for little less than the
81 where the taxes begin. AS yet fully
opaque kimonos are to be had at less
than the SIS where the tax begins.
One may even buy a pair of shoes, of
kind, for $9.99, thus escaping the
tax. In pinch our washerwoman may
be able to manage with lamp costing
under S25. AS to the tax on neck
ties, the remnant Of the Populist party.
as they scurry about in their six CYL
inder cars, will certify that it is pos
slble to go without neckties and live.
And many father of two-dollar-b bill
necktie son is to this day maintaining
his social respectability on a 80 cent
tie.
GAS the price index stands to-day,
majority of US will be able to escape
the new taxes without special sacr1-
fee of comfort or display. There are
signs and portents, however, which
make the future less gay. If socks and
shoes and hats and caps and carpets
and pajamas maintain much longer
their nonstop fight, they won't be
luxury taxes. They will be necessity
taxes. When that day comes-well,
we'd better not let it come"
The Absurdities
"a woman may spend SIS for a
waist without having to pay tax
on it," declares "The Indianapolis
News" "but if a man buys a shirt
priced at more than So he has tax
to pay. The practical application
of this will be tax on nearly all
silk shirts for men,"
In the bleak outlook discovered
by the man who suddenly finds that
things he had come to regard as
necessary are technical luxuries
"The Chicago Post" discovers q
wider field for the little penny. 1t
says:
I'VE can remember--before the war
when we wrote editorials urging the
use Of the penny, or some smaller null
tiple of it than the nickel, as means
of reducing the cost of living by Civ
ing the purchaser closer price than
the custom of counting in fves allowed.
Since then the cost of living has
jumped by nickels, dimes and dollars.