Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-01

T HE COM TAX
A Sharp Fight Expected at the Commit
tee Meeting Tonight
Shall 1t Be Individual Incomes or
Those of Corporations-Cisare
Cigars and Whisky Tax.

There Is expected to be a great battle
between the two factions of the majority
of the ways and means committee tonight
The vote taken on the question of internal
revenue taxes will be final and what a ma
5ority of the majority then decide on will
be reported to the House. Everything de-
pends upon an income tax, to a greater or
less extent, and the advocates of an indi-
vidual income tax will use all their powers
of argument to have that plan substituted
for the tax on incomes of corporations.
The Two Arguments.
They will make two arguments One
that the individual income tax is more
widely and equitably distributed and more
popular; the other that it would produce the
amount of revenue wanted, whereas the
corporation tax would still leave def
cheney. The advocates of the individual in
come tax are very much in earnest, and
have been doing all they could to strength
en- their cause during the recess. The five
members who originally supported the prop
osition are still staunch, and they hope to
get the vote of Mr.. Turner, whose position
all along has been in doubt
How They Can Carry Their Point.
If they can do this they will carry their
point 1t is expected that the session to-
night will last for several hours, and each
side will contest their point with great
determination. The income tax question
Is proposed to be settled before any other
of the propositions for raising revenue are
voted on. The tax on cigarettes is now a
part OF the bill that has been reported and
II is necessary that this item should
main in the bill in order to render the other
internal revenue amendments germane and
in order.
Cigars and Whisky.
Whether an increased tax will be put
cigars is a matter Of doubt and 1t is not
improbable that II the individual income
tax is adopted the smaller items that 1t is
proposed to put in the bill. such as a tax
on playing cards and cosmetics. will be
dropped. 1t is regarded. however, as a
matter almost beyond doubt that a tax of
10 cents additional per gallon will be put on
whisky and that this increase of the tax
will be accompanied by an extension of the
bonded period. An effort will be made to
have this tax apply to whisky in bond, but
that is likely to be defeated
As to n Sugar Tax.
Some OF the democrats in the House and
Senate who oppose an income tax have
suggested the advisability of raising the
revenues which would accrue from in
comes by restoration of the tax on sugar.
not exceeding 1 cent per pound. The sug-
gestion is one that the committee Is not
likely to regard favorably. Not only are
grave political considerations involved but
economic ones as well. in an attempt to
restore tax that has once been abolished.
From the data at hand the committee
learn that the consumption of sugar in this
country since the duty was removed has
increased from lO to 10 pounds per capita
This increase comes almost entirely from
the use OF sugar in the fruit industry, which
received a great stimulus from the introduc-
ton In this country of free raw sugar. Not
only has the home market enlarged but the
shipments of American fruits have greatly
increased. A restoration of the sugar duty,
1t Is believed, would seriously embarrass
this growing industry.