Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-18
coNGRE .sIoNAL NEWS.
of the cowles Bill Explain'

Provisions OF the CoWles Bill 6Xpiaineo
In the report accompanying the Cowles
bill the msjorty of the committee en- ap-
propriations explains that sections and 2
repeal all internal taxes after June 80, 1889.
on cigars, cheroots and cigarettes, snuff,
manufactured tobacco, the special taxes on
manufacturers of tobacco, dealers in leaf
tobacco, and on peddlers OF tobacco. The
amount of revenue received from these
sources during the fiscal ended June &C.
1888 was $50. .G62 ,53l. The enactment OF
the hill would reduce the estimated surplus
for the fiscal year 1890 from S33 3,432,5ll to
S22 .T45 1865.
The report SAYS: The internal revenue
taxes levied because of the necessities Of
war have heretofore been all removed from
capital and from all manufacturing articles,
leaving the products of agriculture to bear
all the burdens Of the internal tax system
The ta1e, proposed to be repealed by the
bill reported are particularly oppressive on
the farmer, both in the amount of tax
levied against his product. as well a. in
the veIntious manner of the collection
There's no longer, in the opinion of the
committee, any justification for the CON-
tinuance of these taxes.
The committee believes that the bill
furnishes practical and simple means of
reducing the surplus revenue, as it is
evidently impossible at this late day of the
prpsent Congress to pass any bill involving
a eomplete revision of our whole revenue
system.
The minority report by Mr.. Forney, is
confined to a simple recommendation look
ing to the passage of . substitute bill,
made M of the sections of the origisal
| Cowles bill. repeating the taxes on chewing
and smoking tobacco and snuff, all special
taxes on manufacturers and dealers and all
dealerv in leaf tobacco. and fxrng at % and
| 81 the annual tax on cigar manufacturer
and de llers in tobacco respectively. All OF
| the sections of the Cowies bill relating to
| the administration of the Cowles bill, are ex
cluded.
Important Meeting OF the Ways and
Means.
The vays and means commtte had shor
meeting this morning but one full of results
| The NcMilliu tariff bill which was presented
10 the committee yesterday, was finally con
sidered and ordered to be reported to the
House.
According to the commitfee's estimates ths
hill w,uld, If enacted into law, reduce th'
revenues S72 900 900. 1t is closely pattern
cd after the Mills bill, retaining the free lis
with a few additions made BY the Senate. Il
omits the chemical, cotton and iron sebe'iue'
texcepting pig iron, rails, structural iron an'
tin plate, which are treated as in the Mill
bill Tue other changes made are in date'
and other unimportant details
When this was disposed of, the committee
with view to having at hand bull to NEE
immediate emergencies in the matter of e1
cp.siye revenue, authorized . favorable re
port upon an original bill prepared by Rep
resen,ative Breckiuridge of Kentucky. whic
. proposes to put tin plate and wool on th
IRE list. and to reduce the Internal resenu
% proposed in the Mills bill, when IN II
revenue sections is identical with the Co~ie
bill.
The bill also includes the wooien An
vor,,ed cloths clauses of the Mills bill
. This measure, il 10 said, would reduce To
. revenue about $40 100000 IL general
believed that this measure vii De the mai