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Show 2-Cent Stamp Law Ready For Fadeout New Postal Rates Move in Before Excise Tax Change WASHINGTON, March 19 The 2-cent postage stamp all but ; fades from the American scene March 26 effective date of new, higher postal rates that get a six-day jump on the billion-dollar-a-year hike in treasury excise ex-cise taxes. No longer sufficient for in-city delivery, the long familiar 2- center will give way to the 3-cent 3-cent stamp that still will carry a letter anywhere it did before. But, few other postal charges remain unchanged under the new revenue act. Domestic air mail rates go up from 6 to 8 cents an ounce, al-through al-through air mail to and from fighting men outside the continental contin-ental United States will remain unchanged at 6 cents a half ounce. The new 8-ccnt stamp will carry the same design as the 6-cent air mail, but will be olive green instead of red. Parcel post will cost at least a penny more for every package, and up to 3 per cent more than at present. Money Orders Jump Money orders will take 4 to 15 cents more an order. Registry fees jump a nickel to 35 cents above present rates, and insurance and c. o. d. charges will be doubled. All told, the increases are expected ex-pected to add $96,900,000 annually an-nually to post office department receipts. That's barely a drop, though, compared to the $1,051,300,000 the treasury will get from excise hikes that go into effect April 1. Chief among these are liquor taxes, boosted from $6 to $9 a ! proof gallon, which means that a quart of whisky, if you can find it, will cost up to 75 cents more, depending on proof. Beer taxes go up $1 a barrel to $8, and wine levels increase from a nickel to SI a gallon, depending de-pending on alcoholic content. Still wines under 15 per cent will be taxed at 15 cents a gallon gal-lon instead of a dime, those from 14 to 21 per cent at 60 cents instead in-stead of 40, and those from 21 to 24 per cent at $2 instead of $1. . Rates on sparkling wines go up from 10 cents a half pint to 15 cents and on other wines from a nickel a half pint to a dime. Inventory Taxes A floor stocks tax, equal to the increases, applies to all inventories inven-tories as of April 1 to prevent dealers from collecting at the higher rates, but pocketing the difference. Public drinking also will be costlier where singing or dancing danc-ing accompaniment is provided. Cabaret checks, now nicked a modest 5 per cent, are to be socked at a 30 per cent rate, beginning be-ginning at 10 a. m. April 1. (The other increases take effect at 12:01 a. m.) More Tax Doubled Movie and other general admissions ad-missions will be taxed at 1 cent for every nickel instead of a penny for each dime, while leaves on boxes and seats are to be assessed at 20 per cent instead in-stead of 11 per cent. The same increase anolies to ticket brok ers and to club and initiation fees. Levies on jewelry, furs (including (in-cluding fur-trimmed articles) and toilet goods will double from 10 to 20 per cent of the retail re-tail price, except in the case of watches that sell for not more than $65 and alarm clocks at not more than $5, when the rate remains re-mains at 10 per cent. Silver-plated flatware is tax exempt. Excise on Luggage A 10 per cent manufacturers' excise on luggage was changed to a 20 per cent retail levy and broadened to include handbags, wallets and similar articles. The present 5 per cent manufacturers' manu-facturers' excise on electric light bulbs and tubes goes to 20 per cent, but a similar 10 per cent on vacuum cleaners is repealed . no vacuum cleaners, no tax. Local telephone bills will be taxed at 15 per cent instead of1 , 10, while long-distance calls will : carry a 25 per cent levy instead of 20. Telegrams, cablegrams and radiograms as well as wire leases will be similarly taxed, instead in-stead of the present 15 per cent, while wire and equipment services serv-ices are to be levied on at 8 per cent instead of 5, Travel tickets, now taxed at 10 per cent, go to 15. Bowling alleys, billiard parlors par-lors must pay $20 a year for each alley or table rather than $10. Tables in private homes continue to be exempt, and the exemption is extended to those in hospitals provided no charge is made for their use. i |