Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-06-02

Washington, D. c., May 29.-The con-
tribution to the support of the govern
ment by those people who pay admls-
sions to theaters aggregates TOR the
United States $50,00O,000 a year.
The average individual who pays ten
or twenty or thirty cents for admission
into moving picture show and an ad-
ditional one or two or three pennies for
tax to the government, rarely stops to
visualize the sum total of these pennies
when they are finally scraped together
and turned over to the treasury depart
ment at Washington to be used In de-
fraying the expenses of government
Were they to arrive at the treasury, IN
two-horse drays, there would be a
string of them six miles long, bearing
1900 tons of pennies.
Few people appreciate the organiza-
ton that is necessary in the collection
of these pennies-the complications of
the task of seeing to it that every thea
ter that sells tickets turns in the tax
money to the government.
Delinquent Theaters.
Last week United States special
agents stationed at Chicago made sur
vey of the situation to determine wheth-
er Or not the government is getting all
that is coming to it from this amuse-
ment tax. 1t found that in the internal
revenue district in which Chicago is
located there were $50 theaters which
were in arrears in the payment of the
amounts due the government.
Orders Immediately went forward
from Washington for drastic action in
bringing these delinquent theaters up to
the mark. At the same time blanket
order was sent out to the 81 collectors
of internal revenue in the ga districts
instructing each to survey his field to
determine what theaters were in ar
rears and to take the necessary action
to collect all moneys due to date. This
action calls attention to the necessity
which lies with the federal government
of knowing every ticket which is sold
to every performance and getting its
10 per cent tax on that ticket.
That he may collect the money due
the government it is necessary that
each collector should know of every
theater that is operating in his district
There are two requirements which
make it impossible for theater to give
an entertainment without the authori-
ties knowing about it. In the first place,
it must have a license issued by the
community in which it exists. The local
police authorities see to it that no
places of amusement are run without
tne necessary license. In aUGfLIOn TO
this, a federal license is required of the
aters. A little moving picture show
which has capacity of not more than
80 must take out a license for which
it pays the government $50 year. 1t
it has more than $50 seats and not
more than 500, it must pay 500 year.
II it has more than 500 and not more
than 500 seats it must pay $50 a year.
and if it has more than 500 seats it
must pay 5000 year The law fur
ther provides that in cities of 5000 or
less the tax will be half the amounts
named above. This direct tax on the
aters nets the federal government near
ly a million and "a half dollars year.
This tax is paid By the theater itself,
while the tax on admission is paid by
the individual who buys the ticket. The
fact that places of amusement must
take out this federal license gives the
government a complete list of all the
aters operated.
How Country Is Divided.
0pe of tho Al informal revapua dis