Evening star., 1941-09-30

ago pQSSed 81 ,553 ,O00 ,O0O tdT Otu.
Every citizen ,UtH be affected, di-
rectly or indirectly, through lou
cred income tar exemptions and
higher eTciSe lepieS. About SS46,-
800 900 in reUenue is expected to
come from eTciSe and miScell1ne-
Gus tures on items that lalO-
makers consider luTurieS.
With the Federal and District
governments disbursing pay roll
in excess of 100000 here today,
thrifty Washingtonians with an eye
on the calendar were preparing TO
drink and ride as cheaply as pos
sible by stocking up on liquor and
tires-two of the principal items
that will be hit by the new Federal
excise taxes which go into effect to-
morrow on furs, jewelry liquor cos
metics, automobile accessories and
other "luxuries."
The rush of the thirsty-which.
incidentally has been in progress
for several days-was the outstand-
ing feature of the last day under
the old rates. The manager of one
establishment described it as lust
like Christmas and New Years"
Telephones rang and aisles were
crowded by customers seeking to
evade the added charge of from
20 to 40 cents quart which will
be exacted from tomorrow on as
the levy on liquor jumps 81 to 81
a gallon.
Tire Sales Boom.
Sales of tires and tubes also
were showing tremendous increases,
a check over the city this morning
demonstrated. Buying in women's
lines, however-furs, fur-trimmed
coats, jewelry and cosmetics will
carry new impost of 10 per cent
was on a much more moderate basis.
with merchants not entirely agreed
on how much effect the tax is
having in stimulating advance sales.
Retail liquor sales were up as
much as 300 and 400 per cent over
the usual figure for this time of the
month, dealers agreed this morning
and they looked for the boom"
to continue until closing time. One
store on Pennsylvania avenue had to
call on the police for assistance in
handling the crowd late yesterday,
two officers standing in front of the
establishment to keep traffic moving
and hand out few tickets 10 de-
termined double-parkers.
Incidentally, this new tax will be
reflected in -the-bar prices
Places that have been selling drinks
for 25 to IS cents plan in most in
stances to go up nickel; In the
upper bracket establishments, how
ever. there is tendency TO it-tight
on the present scale, at least until
the first of the year.
Tire Sales Up 300 Per Cent.
One principal retailer in tires and
tubes also reported sales up as much
as 300 TO 400 per cent. The tax on
tires goes from 2i2 to cents a
pound and will add from SO to SIS
cents to the price of popular sizes.
The tube tax jumps from Az to 9
cents a pound and will add 10 to II
cents on the price of the sizes most
commonly used.
Most tire buying seems to be In
uxoo cold iY1diro
that customers are doing no more
than meeting actual needs for the
present and immediate future.
Radio sales also were feeling the
impact of the new levy which in
this instance is a per cent manu-
facturer's tax. One dealer estimated
this morning that business was IS
per cent above normal.
Among the establishments dealing
in women's wear and other feminine
accessories, Frank R. Jelle1 OF
Jelleff s, Inc, said sales were con-
siderably over last years figures '
and that the pickup was noticeable,
particularly in furs. fur-trimmed
coats, cosmetics and jewelry.
Mr.. Jellef pointed out, however,
that merchants generally had not
been emphasizing the impending
levy in their advertising, because to
have done so would have helped to
defeat the purposes of the tax, and
this. perhaps. had served to keep
down the rush.
Tax Not Stressed.
The absence of advertising here
stressing the new tax also was COM
mented on by Bert Sarazan, publicity
director for the Hecht Co., who said
! no effort had been made to
"bludgeon' the public into advance
buying, and that he did not think
there had been much stimulation"
OF sales.
In fact, he said, he doubted II