Evening star., 1938-02-06
By Frank B. Lord.

~ RIDGE PO1NTER-In finessing
- always remember the bidding
Of your adversarles, and gen
- orally lead through the suit
your adversary has bid if possible, and
take tinesse against the other ad-
versary.
Watch the signals given by your
adversaries when discarding. If an
adversary is evidently discarding from
weakness take finesse in that suit
against him. If he makes a discard
calculated to encourage his partner,
take the flnesse the other way.
A PARAGRAPH in the annual re-
port of the commissioner of in
ternal revenue for the year 1887 af-
fords interesting study both for bridge
players and for the revenue authorities
of the Government 1t shows that
there were II manufacturers, repackers
or importers of playing cards in the
United States; also that there were
manufactured, repacked or imported
a total of 39,977, l42 packs of cards, as
compared with 47.941,O2l packs dur
ing 1886
At first appearance this would seem
to be discouraging to bridge players
since approximately 100000 fewer
decks of cards were sold in 1887 than
in 1886, and in a minor way to the
Government, which lost 100000 from
this source of revenue. The bureau
and the bridge players, however, have
an explanation for the showing which
would appear to be quite conclusive.
During the period of the business
depression in the early 3Os. the in
on playing cards were about the only
items that did not show a substantial
Shrinkage in revenue yield The loss
was greater in proportion on playing
cards than on cigarettes, the reason
being that in hard times players will
use deck many times, while cigar
cite once lighted is soon reduced to
smoke and ashes, even when parked
on the best mahogany.
The tax on playing cards is 10 cents
deck, fat. regardless of the COM
mercial selling price of the pack. A
deck that retails for so cents. or even
25 cents. pays the same as deck that
retails for $3.50. This tax was in
serted in revenue bill some u years
ago at the instance of Representative
kvale Of Minnesota, father of the
present Representative Kvale and the
man who defeated Volstead of prohi-
bltlon law fame His amendment was
not considered by the Committee on
Ways and Means. but was offered
during the consideration of the bill
on the floor of the House. There was
little discussion and no serious OBJ
lection to It and it was adopted Mr.
kvale's purpose was not to raise rev.
enue, but to discourage card playing
The result was directly the opposite
AS the bureau estimates that there are
upward of 100000 bridge players
in the country
About three years ago a player in
Vienna invented process card which,
for playing purposes, is practically in
deStructlble 1t does not burn, is
very difficult to tear and when solled
may be laundered with soap and water
and come out as good as new after
daily use for more than a year. Play
ers both in Washington and elsewhere
are coming to purchase these decks
extensively and the result is the use
OF far less number Of ordinary, old
fashioned decks. They pay the same
l0-cents-a-deck tax as the cheaper
grades, and hence the loss of $500. 900
revenue to the Government.
The Washington Bridge Leagues
Executive Committee has voted to
hold special pair duplicate the lat
ter part of February. the winners of
which will be awarded free accommo-
datlonS, rooms and meals, at the
Hollywood Beach. Hollywood, Fla. and
500 for other expenses to enable them
to participate in the eighth annual
Southeastern championships which
Will be held there on March 9 to r.
The game is to be a tWo-session pair
match and all entrants are expected
to play through both sessions. Ameri-
can Contract Bridge League master
points will be given in accordance
with schedule to be later announced.
Rating points will be awarded in
each session at double the usual scale,
unless the winners get master points.