Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-16
TARIFF DEVELOP MENTS.
There May Be Small Tax Placed Upon
Sugar.
Slow Progress Being Made ON the In
Income Tax Dimculty.

reimposition of the duty ON sugar,
amounting to three-quarters of a cent. is
one of the revisions of the Wilson tariff
bill which may yet be made before the
measure is taken up for consideration in
the House. The opposition to an increased
whisky tax is so great and the difficulties
surrounding such increase so numerous,
that 1t is not likely any part of the deficit
caused by the reduction in rates will be
met from that source. Aside from the fact
that a long time would necessarily elapse
before the government could receive the
benefit of the increase, it would be neces-
sary also to recast the customs schedules
containing alcohol, which would in itself
delay the bill and add to the committees
embarrassments.
Small Duty ON Sugar.
Some Of the members of the committee
favor small duty on sugar. They believe
that the increased Gust to the consumer
would be very slight. while the revenues
resulting therefrom would be considerable.
One OF the democratic members of the COM
mittee said this morning he did not see how
1t was possible to avoid taxing sugar. Such
a movement would be very gratifying to
the Louisiana delegation. and to the dele
cations from other states where the beet
sugar industry is rapidly developing Not
only would duty on sugar add materially
to the national revenues. but IL would also
save the present output Of $SOOO,OOO or &c.,
ooo,0o0 year that Is now paid in bounties.
Slow Progress on Internal Revenue
Schedules.
The work on the internal revenue sched-
ules is proceeding slowly. The full statis-
tics from the Treasury Department, which
the committee will use as the basis for
"a bou baap
and until all of the data required is at hand.
it will not be possible to reach a definite
understanding regarding the form and
scope Of the proposed income tax. There
ls no doubt that an income tax will be i'm
posed but the opposition to placing 1t on
individual incomes Is still very great. II
this purpose be abandoned and the tax be
placed only on corporations and legacies,
very considerable revenue must be raised
from other sources. The increased tax
on cigarettes; a tax of six cents a pack on
playing cards, and a probable tax on cigars
will, at the best, yield only an additional
revenue of few million dollars. 1t is for
this reason that the sentiment in favoring
a reimposition of a tax on sugar is develop
ing among the members of the committee.
Hope to Report ON Tuesday.
The members of the subcommittee hope to
report their conclusions regarding all these
articles to the full committee on Tuesday
next, but this is doubtful One member of
the committee said this morning that he did
not believe the internal revenue schedules
would be completed until after the holiday
recess. While the work is in the hands Of
the subcommittee. these latter are in daily
conference with their fellow democratic
members Of the ways and mean committee
and as several of these gentlemen expect to
leave the city not later than Tuesday next
among a hat
nothing definite regarding these schedules
will be accomplished until the reassembling
Of Congress after the Christmas recess
about the 4th Of January