Evening star., 1936-07-05
COSMETICS TAX
FIGHT PROMISED
Representative IenCkes
Seeks Repeal of Levies
on Luxury Basis.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Protesting against taxing. as 'lux-
ury," cosmetics which millions of
American women need for better
health" Representative Jenckes of
Indiana yesterday announced per-
sistent crusade against both Fed
eral and State taxes on such commodi-
ties In response to appeals from many
organizations Of women all over the
country"
She intends to appeal to Congress
at the opening Of the January session,
with staggering statistics-either to
discontinue the tax or reduce it to a
minimum, and to remove cosmetics
from the luxury" classification.
Mrs. Jenckes said her interest and
knowledge of the subject goes back
to her childhood. She is the daugh-
ter OF druggist. Her father, James
E. Somes was an assayer of drugs in
the U. S. Customs House in New
Orleans. A graduate pharmacist of
Vincenns University, he established a
drug business in 1875 in Terre Haute,
Ind, where she was born. She has
been fascinated by the development,
through scientific study and pro-
fessional treatment of what were then
looked upon as luxuries for the leis-
tire class until today they have be-
come actual necessities in the daily
lives OF American housewives and
working women"
PrAnQ a finnS IaIL
That is actually what happened she
emphasized. To-day such cosmetics
as face powder and face cream, lip
sticks and rouge, dentrifce. soaps.
shampoos and hair preparations
have become as essential to house.
wives and working girls as hats. shoes
and other articles of wearing apparel,
They should not be included under
the heading of luXuries and subject to
exoroitant taxation. They are abso-
lutte necessities, because our high
standards Of living make cleanliness
and a well-groomed appearance i'm
perative to women's representation
IN this highly competitive modern
world"
And Mrs, JenckS has a highly spe-
clallzed scientific knowledge of this
suoJect-for example, she has studied
Ormby's Treatise, Diseases of the
Skin" and learned of the painful and
disfguring consequences of neglecting
sensible care of the skin. She regrets
That advertising has overemphasized
beauty rather than the common
sense use of cosmetics to promote skin
health and preservation. She pro-
tests that the objective is more vital
TO humanity than any appeal to the
vanity of the foolish minority of
males or females" She insists that
within the cosmetics industry is "a
profession contributing to the solu-
tion of such serious human problems,
which should not have fastened to it
the sole appellation luxury"
Dependency Often Encountered.
Mrs. Jenckes called attention that
the lives of hundreds of thousands
nave been made uncomfortable bv
cutaneous diseases wholly external,
sometimes resulting from parasitic
infections. Victims Of mangant skin
diseases" she explained ARE acute
sufferers not only from the direct
effect, but from humiliation that leads
frequently to morose dependency"
She points out that many thousands
require ordinary everyday cosmetics
in order to hold or secure a position I
in commerce and industry. The ap-
pearance Of a person is a factor of
Importance, often determining en-
ployment or no employment"
She also speaks for some 10000
persons. mostly women, employees of
the industry directly engaged in pro-
duction," She speaks in behalf of
other thousands of female sales
clerks employed by 100000 retail mer-
chants, who are depending upon con-
of cosmetics to keep their
Jobs" She says the suppliers of ma
terials to cosmetic manufacturers give
work to not less than $4,000 more
citizens in the production of con-
tainers, such as bottles, boxes, cans,
cartons and packing units.
In the business sphere such en-
phasis has been placed upon personal
appearance" said Mrs. Jenckes, that