The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-24
EDITORS ASK CONGRESS TO
REPEAL SPORT GOODS TAX
President Harding Says Is the Rivalry That Comes Through
Sports That Promotes Good Understanding Among Peoples
Which in Itself Should Cause Repeal Of Tax.
BY PETER p. CARNEY.

mat the newspapers are interested
in having the war tax on sporting
goods repealed is proven by the edi
torials on the subject that appear al
most daily throughout this broad land
Newspaper men know better thar
anyone else how this unjust tax is in.
Turing interest in sports by keeping the
youngsters out Of play. The New York
Evening Mail, in its leading editoria
on May expressed the views Of hun
dreds of thousands Of persons in urg-
ing the repeal of the tax. Here is the
editorial as 1t appeared:
Repeal This Tax.
OF all the mean taxes with which
this country is afflicted, none is mean
er than the tax on sporting goods. The
oretically, 1t Is supposed to be luxury
tax. Actually, 1t Is a necessity tax, Tor
20 per cent Of the sporting goods sold
go to boys under Is years of age In
the normal course. If that is not so
this year the reason is that the tax
has put the prices of things SO high
that the boys cannot buy them. Con-
gress did not mean to do anything
as stupid as this, of course. but that
has been the effect of it's action, new
ertheless.
There are moral as well as hygienic
reasons for encouraging our boys to
take all the healthy exercise they can
get. A tax on their sporting goods is in
effect an embargo on health. However
else congress has to get the money to
lures it should not get it, in this way.
rTytz, @rl,-, Z a1al NJ
Thousands of letters have been re-
ceived by congressman and senators
urging the repeal Of the tax and prac-
tically every letter gives excellent rea-
sons for the repeal of the tax. We
doubt very much that congress will
ignore these requests. If there is one
tax to be repealed it should be this
one. 1t does not get the government
more than 100000 year, and it sets
the nation back ten times that sum. II
the members of congress would go out
and take a look at the Fairgrounds and
recreation centers. ball parks where
the sandlotters play, track meets. etc..
they would vote Immediately for the
repeal Of the tax. 1t is necessary for
us to have an athletic nation If We
desire to progress.
President Believes in Sports.
President Harding is one who be-
lieves in this. We have his letter to
John Wackerman, the youngster who
wanted to build swimming pool in
as proof Of the presidents
interest in athletics. Furthermore. we
not the president and Under Secretary
Of State Fletcher playing golf with
Ring Lardner and Grant Rice, and the
Davis Cup team appeared before the
president and showed him how they
won the worlds tennis title. The presi-
dent couldn't attend the dinner to the
Davis Cup team SO he sent letter.
Hero is a paragraph culled from it:
"These friendly rivalries bring forth
the sest of every nation in each par
.icular field of sport, and particularly
help in promoting good understand
ing between peoples, because they at
ford the mutual opportunity to appre-
ciate and respect all those fundamen-
tails which underlie a nations great
ness"
We sincerely trust that a majority
Of congressman and senators are as
keenly interested in the nations
greatness as the president. We are a
great nation, athletically, now, but
we cannot continue a great nation inl
sports If this war tax is to continue
for any great length of time. 1t Isl
curtailing the play Of the youth toe
much.