The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-08-13
by N~q& S:SAA&e>

II looks just now as = ihe congress
OF the United States has turned down
the Kid athletes or spit n" difference
with them. For more than two yryrs
| have been pleading with congress: TO
lift n" t%N on athletic goods and let
the KIDS have a chance L" get th'ir
bats. balls and other equipment with
out bring soaked. and now congress do
r!des 20 tan tuem ; instead Of 10 per
cent.
The 10 per cent tax placed on athletic
equipment waS On" OF the wnrS, blows
ever !nHictcd upon aihl"ticS N the
country. II was due 20 the solid homo
q. congress. No bail PLAYER ever
pulled Il more bone. headed play than
he esteemed congress did whoa II DC
cided 20 tax athlct:" goods. two. three.
four or i've times aS mech Il. Il DID
soda water. talcur powder and su"b
things Il Is amending III" amount. but
;hr pr!nCiil' remains hanged.
The congress evidently decided that
the chorus men and the lounge lizards
should not Ice faxed n hard as N"
KIDS who play out on the SandIots and
who make the bone and muscle of the
ma ion.
The trouble was thai congress did no;
understand conditions They waHheG 10
tax sporting goods. and they confuse
and still confuse Sporting goods rEd
athl"tlc goods. 1t - all right !" tax
as heavy as they want ~. sporting
goods lropic who can affo-d to hc
spor,smen. who h,r fishermen. motor
boa, fans hunters or such people. ouGh;
10 b" taNad ami can "riorL - he taxed
Rut the Kid on the lots cannot. And
the Kid was hit harder than The sports
man
How the Tax hurts
had iette: Today which shows a
few things The letter. In part says:
'N'an you not write an article about
the outra geously unfair and unjusu-
nahle prices ~ sporting goods" Today
walked into a sporting goods shop
Tor a simple dry line tennis marker.
They showed me 4 small TN whe"! with
a handle with n screen rnntr:vancc for
dropping the markings. price 81. An-
o,he- thin. | bought was center
mnrker a small piece Of El.ran;zrd
iron with two points. simple hook
and one and thrce-dunrt"cs yards OF
white webbing for $50. 50 Il goes all
through the line"
asked SpaldinCs about these things
The Drices quoted are correct retail
p-iccs. ahnu, double what they were.
The profits Of the retailer are slightly
larger, the profits ~ the wholesalers
trifie smaller 'han they were. In aHhl-
ton ~ the normal increase in pr!He
there is tho 10 per cent government TAX
which being In odd figures. means tna'
the retailer will make them even. Iha1
is. IL an article formerly sold for 81.
and tho tax mako. il Sl.l0. the normal
increase will cause the retailer 10 raise
It to sl.c5.
Small Chance for Rolief
have been working on this thing FOR
Iorr time. SO far as can md. every
member q, the ways and means com
rni.tce In 49," horse wants this TAX on
In Other words they wish II never mad
ronc on. but s!nc" j. - ~ and IN" gov
ernment needs ~" money. thev ar" IN
douh. ahou, taking t Of. TH" only
homo cr the kids was that tho burden
OF the tax would b" removed from atH-
Lotto goods and placed upon sporting
goods and tho rtrh DC made 70 pay the
ia, ~ ,he Kids Instead. however. the
congress merely reduces the tax.
had : - the other day with julie
cu-ti.s. who IN business is head az
Sr,Id!ne. and who in sports IS ahous
as keen a sportsman - tr'r" is IN 'Ne
v.o-II and who thinks moro ~ tho Kids
th,n ne docs even ~, golf which + say
!n- something.
Mr. Cnr'iss naturally wants tho tax
or athletic goods So f"r rs I can IND
h. nnNer his kicked aEH inst tax ~
sporting goods. cameras. i'"'f or any
surI .,nrr that ran hopr N" burden
Pu. there Is ono thing upon which hN
has determined and that IS that n" KIDS
Of the United States shall not be de-
r-ivrd Of their hasehal' uniforms. Shoes
rloves, ritts and balls haHr"n 10
know that he has issued an order 70
tho manufa curing departments "f his
concern that. rerardlcss Of tax or any
thing else. th~ Kids must Ne taken C?re
Of 7 also happen - know tina Dave
cvirson who ia hcnd ~ the Western
Spor.tny Goods Manufacturing Conn
IA nv has given the same order.
Maybe Il is selfish looking toward IN"
future These men know that unless The
KIDS &c, balls. hats. shoes. gloves.
masks and so on at \ price that they
ran arord. III" number Of players Of
baseball will decrease. 1t has decreased