Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-03-05
WILSON SIGNS
WAR TAX BILL
President Affixes Signature to Six
Billion Measure While
on Train.
CAPITAL NOW BONE DRY"
Rider Attached to Measure Prohibits
Liquor in District of Columbia
People viii Have to Pay
81 Zoo, 200, 900 Year.

Washington. Feb. 27.-President
Wilson arrived in Washington at five
O'Clock In the morning from Boston,
where he landed Monday from the
transport George Washington. Be
cause of the early hour he and Mrs.
Wilson remained on their special train
until $40, when they drove to the
White House.
Passing through the station with a
brisk step. Mr.. Wilson found a cheer
ing early morning crowd of travellers
awaiting him. He acknowledged the
applause by lifting his hat and smii-
ing. Many scores of soldiers In the
crowd stood rigidly at attention as
the commander in chief passed by.
Announcement was made on the ar
rival of the presidential party in Wash
ington that the president had signed
the OO0,000,000 war revenue bill.
The bill was signed aboard the special
train Monday night before the presi-
dent retired This measure carries
rider making the District of Column
bia bone dry.
Higher taxes provided In the new
bill 20 into effect at once on liquor
and soft drinks. including near beer,
grape juice, soda water and mineral
waters, and on tobacco and so-called
luxuries. Anticipating the imposition
of new taxes, thousands of gallons OF
whisky have been withdrawn from gov
eminent warehouses within the last
week, with tax paid at the old rate OF
$500 a gallon to escape the higher
rate of $6.40 a gallon now effective.
Articles In the luxury" sclass On
which new taxes go into effect today
include automobiles and motor aces
sories, pianos, sporting goods, chewing
gum, cameras, candy. firearms, slot ma
chimes, toilet soaps and art goods. The
tax Is paid by the manufactures.
Other features of the tax bill which
went into legal effect Tuesday, but
which are retroactive and which con-
sequently are not practically affected
by the time of the signing Of the bill,
include the following:
Taxes on incomes, excess profits
and war profits; estates and Inherit
ances; and excise taxes on a number
of special businesses such as brokers,
bowling alleys. insurance companies
theater and amusement place propri-
etors, and liquor dealers.
On April / new taxes on railroads
and steamship tickets, pipe lines. in
surance, theater admissions and club
dues and variety of stamp taxes be-
come effective. Levies against the ex-
cess of value of so-called semiluxuries,
such as articles of dress, will be made
after May l. The soda fountain tax
becomes effective May 1. Taxes on
products of child labor will be Inn
posed in 60 days.
Without awaiting signature of the
bill by the president, the internal rev
enue bureau has gone ahead prepar-
ing to administer the law Tax re-
turn forms and regulations are being
issued and income and profit tax re-
turns must be filed by March 10.
It will cost the American people
about 81, 200, 100000 year for the next
25 years to pay off the war debt, ac-
corling to estimates of the treasury,
based on incomplete knowledge of pre-
cisely what the final war debt will be.
This calculation is made in the as
sumption that the net war debt, with
deductions for loans to the allies, will
be in the neighborhood of $1S,0O0,000,-
600. Interest on this amounr ar tho
rate of Al per cent would be $T65, 600
600 a year. to be raised by taxes
and then repaid to bondholders. In ad-
dition about S417,OO0.O0O would have
to be provided every year az sinking
fund to redeem all bonds in % years.