The herald., 1898-05-18
TO LEvYING ALL THE TAX ON
CONSUMPTION
PROPERTY SHOULD BE TAXED
At Any Cost Bond Issue Should Be
Avoided-Labor Bills Pass
the House
Associated Press Special Wire

in considering the war revenue measure
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas presented In q gen.
eral statement the views of the Democrat
ic members of the finance committee. He
maintained that the taxes imposed by the
pending bill ought to be levied on property
and not upon consumption; that the policy
OF the Republican party had always been
to impose taxes upon consumption; while
the half the Democratic party was to i'm
pose was upon property. He believed that
taxation that would raise $3.50, 900 900 would
be amply sufficient to be carried by this
bill, and that if the exigencies of the war
did demonstrate that more money was
needed, congress could provide 1t later.
He opposed the proposition to issue bonds
and certificates of Indebtedness far in e.l-
cess of the requirements of the wcr, and
held that the expenses should BID paid by
the government as the war progresses.
Mr.. Hale, chairman of the Committee on
Naval Affairs, offered the following reso-
lution, which was agreed to:
''Thut the treasury appointments made
by, the President on and after April q,
1S9S, and UP. to the date of the passage of
this joint resolution Of officers OF the line
and staff of the navy are hereby ratified
the exigency under which their services
are required in, the existing war. Officials
so.arpointed shall be assigned to duty with
rank and pay of the grades established by
existing law and shall be paid from the
appropriation for pay of the navy"
A bill was reported from the Military
Affairs Committee by Mr.. Carter Of Mon
tana and passed, providing that pay and
nf
United States army shall begin on the
date Of their enrolment at the State camps
with provision that volunteer troops
!, sent to the Philippine Islands may draw
one months pay In advance. 1t was ex-
planned that the bill applies only to those
who had as volunteers enlisted in the U. s.
army.
On motion of Mr.. Allison, consideration
of the war revenue measure was resumed,
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas taking the floor
Mr.. Jones said that he doubted whether
there was a man In the Senate who was
not ready to vote oil the money and taxes
necessary to carry on the present war.
lie would-not perform his duty, he thought,
II he should vote for too much, money.
The problem presented was how much
money is needed.
of secretary of the treasury Gage that
the additional expenses OF the war over
and above the current expenses Of the
government would be about $25, ZOO, 900 q
month, total of perhaps $500 900, 900 in a
year. Secretary Alger had informed the
finance committee that the extraordinary
war expenses of his department wo,ild be
about $500 1000. He thought this amount
i :,
presented to the committee u carefully
prepared statement showing that the war
expenses of his department would be about
So 900, 600. Allowing $l5 900 for extra
expenses, the full amount. needed by the
estimates of cabinet officers was. accord.
ing to his figures, In the neighborhood of
&24O, 900. This amount was, Of course,
in addition to the ordinary expenses of the
government.
Hale challenged this statement, declar-
ing that the $75,OOO,OOO referred to in the
statement of Secretary Long did not in
clude the amount carried by the naval ap-
preparation bill for the present war. and 1t
did not include, either, about $40, 900 900
which would be included in the general
deficiency bill. He was satisfied that the
amount the war would cost the navy de-
partment would not be far from $3.50 ,O0O,-
600 from the present time until thu LIST of
July, 1892
Allison called attention to thet facN that
he had made that point clear in his state
ment.
r. Jones, continuing, maintained that it was
entirely unnecessary for all of the ex-
penses of the war to be provided for in
the pending bill. Congress would return
here in December next and II the emer-
gency required its presence, 1t could be
called together by the president. Jones
did not approve of the bill as 1t came from
the house. His figures, the best attainable
estimates. he said. indicated that the ex-
penses of the war during the next year
would not require more than $4,000. 900,
yet advocates Of the pending bill proposed
to place at the disposal of the govern
ment more than three times that sum,
through taxation and the issue OF bonds.
Jones declared that every feature
rof the bill was tax on consumption. The
stamp tax was one of the most onerous and
vexatious forms of taxation ever devised.
The tax upon tobacco and upon beer was a
tax on consumption. In response to an in
quiry from Aldrich, Jones said he did not
believe any man could determine definitely
now duu upOl WHuIA tllc uocI tdA Woulu
fall. ~
1--WE on this side," said he, 'believe. how
ever, that the taxes levied ought to rest
upon property. while the bill pending in
creases the tax on consumption"
I'm answer to an inquiry by Aldrich,
Jones said: IT am willing to fix the
amount that ought to be produced by the
pending bill at $4,000; but believe 1t
would be better and wiser for us to levy
even more taxes rather than increase our
Understanding obligations. If had to
take my choice between an issue of bonds
and an increase of taxation, would prefer
to increase taxation"
without reaching any agreement as to
what portion of the bill should be consid-
cred first, the senate proceeded with the
reading Of the BILL with the understand
ing that at any time senators should have
the privilege of returning to passed items
for their amendment or alteration.
Allison, presented tables showing the
,emounts OF the ordinary appropriations sor
the next fiscal year. They aggregate Qesa