The Mena weekly star., 1919-04-24

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 Washington, April 19.-Carry a few extra pennies in your pockets after May 1.
 Uncle Sam is going to take them away from you to help pay for the war.
 Everytime you spend dime at a soda fountain or ice cream parlor on and after May 1 you'll have to throw an extra penny on the counter to pay the war tax.
 Many soda fountains which charged IS cents for sodas and sundaes during the war have reduced the price back to 10 cents, but you're likely soon to see signs over the soda fountains readings:
 "Sodas and sundaes now Ii cents"
 The tax on ice cream and soft drinks is only one of the many which goes into effect under the revenue act on May 1. The most important of these are the so-called "luxury taxes" which were written into the revenue bill before it became apparent to our congressman that they were unneces- sary.
 An attempt was made to pass a bill repeating them before congress ad- iourned, but it was one of the bills talked to death in the filibuster. It is likely that the "luxury taxes" will be repealed during the coming special session, but until then we'll have to pay 'em.
 They call these luxury" taxes, but the commodities taxed are by no means all luxuries. Congress intend- cd the taxes to fall on the rich and the well-to-do people of the country, but some of them will fall just as heavily on the great 90 per cent of the population represented by the middle classes and the poor.
 Take for instance, the tax on med isines. After May you'll have to pay tax of 1 cent for each 25 cents worth of proprietary medicines you buy, whether they are pills, tablets, powders, syrups, tonic, plasters, salves or ointments. If you pay $1 for bottle of medicine, you'll pay 4 cents tax.
 The same tax will apply to tooth powders, hair dyes, hair restoratives, toilet waters, perfumes and other toi- let articles.
 The tax on other "luxuries" is not 30 heavy as on medicines, toilet arti- sles and beverages. The reason for this is that, while the tax is 10 per cent, it is imposed not on the entire price of the article taxed, but on that part of it in excess of specified amount.
 For instance, carpets and rugs are taxed 10 per cent on the amount you pay over $5 square yard. That is, if you buy ten squares of carpet at $5 square, or $50, you will pay no tax. But if you pay $6 square yard for ten yards, or $60, you will be taxed on that extra dollar a yard. Thus you will pay $6.10 a yard or $61 for the ten yards.
 Another luxury" tax that will hit the poor after May is that on nov ing pictures, which requires every person leasing moving picture films for exhibition to pay monthly tax of per cent of the amount his films produce in rentals. This tax, of course, will be added to that already being paid by the public on admis- sions to moving picture theaters. In many cases it will double the price of movie tickets.
 These new taxes are in addition to many other which went into effect on April 1. Prominent among these IS the tax of per cent of the total price paid on all articles of jewelry.
 Still other s'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 act was approved by the president in March. These include the following percentages of the total prices:
 Automobiles, ,59S.
 Automobile accessories, 5%o.
 Musical instruments and records, s46.
 Sporting goods, 109O.
 Chewing gum, 5ao.
 Candy, 5e6.
 Cameras, 10qe.
 Photographic films and plates, bF.
 Firearms and ammunition, 1OTo.
 Hunting knives, 1Gqd.
 Portable electric fans, 5%.
 Thermos bottles, 5qo.
 Cigar and cigarette holders, humi- aors, smoking stands, 1090.
 Slot machine, 5qo.
 Livery uniforms, 103o.
 Hunting or riding habits, 1Of.
 Fur clothing and furs, 109s.
 Toilet soaps, 39s.
 Pleasure boats, 10e6.
 Paintings and statuary, 10Ta.
 Then there are taxes on alcoholic