The record-union., 1898-05-17
Debate on the War Revenue Bill
Begun in the Senate.
Carries an Estimated Revenue Of Over One
Hundred and Fifty Millions.
Made the Unfinished Business, and
Will be Pressed to Passage as
Soon as Possible-The House
Sustains a Veto of the Presi-
dent.

dent.
WASHINGTON, May 16.-The debate
upon the war revenue measure was
begun in the Senate to-day. The open
ing statement for the Committee on
Finance was made by Allison Of Iowa
the ranking member in the absence OF
Morrill, of Vermont 1t was estimated
that the bill as it came from the House
Of Representatives would raise $780,
600, 900 year. AS reported from the
Senate committee. Allison estimates
that it will raise S151 ,497 ,066 At the
conclusion of Allison's statement the
bill was made the unfinished business
and il win be pressed to passage as
soon as possible.
Morgan of Alabama introduced a res
olution calling upon the Secretary OF
the Interior for information in his pos
session concerning the progress of work
and concerning the financial affairs OF
the Maritime Canal Company. The
resolution was agreed to.
The Senate, 30 to II, voted down an
amendment by Pettigrew to a local
railroad bill providing that the Govern
ment might purchase the road al its
cash value at any time after ten years.
Allison of Iowa then called up the
war revenue bill, and made a statement
of its features to the Senate.
Allen said that as the bill came from
the House of Representatives 4 was an
internal revenue measure and as re-
ported to the Senate it was still an in
ternaI revenue measure. Comparative
~, said he, there are no provisions in
it for increase of customs duties. He
said that the Finance Committee had
carefully examined all of the schedules
of the House bill. and had been led to
believe that schedules A (stamp taxes)
and B proprietary articles) were too
general in their scope. Consequently
they had been amended. On the beer
and tobacco taxes on schedules A and
b and on the tonnage tax matter the
committee was substantially a unit.
Allison said that the committee had
obtained the best possible estimates
from the Secretary of War and the Sec
Tetary of the Navy. Secretary AIgeI
estimated that his department would
need S150,927 ,527. To this sum must
be added at least SIS, 100000 to pay ex-
penses authorized by Congress after
of the Secretary of the Navy Of the
expense of his department for the same
period was $75, 5,556, $50, but in addition
TO this sum the amount carried by the
naval appropriation bill must be con-
sidered as part of the expenses of the
navy. In addition to the $50, coo. .0nC
already appropriated as a war fund
which Allison announced parenthioally
4s<,,I I1,- I,
forthcoming general deficiency bill
would carry deficiency appropriation
for the current year of about $685.
100000. and there is a naval deficiency
of about So, ,275,0 ,000 The Senate FL
nance Committee therefore figured that
it would require a total of 1919, 1876, ,00C
to pay the expenses of the war from
the present time until the first of July
1899, not taking into account any emer-
gency expenses that might arise at any
moment.
Allison then carefully analyzed the
ordinary receipts and expenditures OF
the Government. In the course of this
statement he expressed the opinion
that the estimate of the Secretary OF
the Treasury that the present tariff bill
would this year raise $500, 100000 was
too high. In the present circumstances
and conditions he doubted whether the
bill would produce more than $3.50 600,
600.
The important question, he said, was
how much money should be provided by
taxation and how much by loan. Ir
committee he had been willing to in.
crease the revenue feature so as to in
sure S125, 100000. On this point the
Committee on Finance had been di-
vided. some members desiring to raise
as much as or more than $50, ,0O00 900
and he thought that the bill would pro-
duce this amount, Irrespective of the
Democratic amendments. Indeed, he
thought that the bill as agreed to by
all the members would produce ever
to exceed $50, ,0000 900, while he thought
the House bill would not produce tc
exceed S105, 5,O0O,0 600.
Taking up the amendments inserted
without the cooperation Of the Repub-
lican members of the Finance Commit
tee. and known as the Democratic
amendments, Allison expressed the
opinion that in addition to the green
back and seigniorage provisions, this
would yield $75,000000 in the aggre-
gate, in addition to the estimate oi
$150,00O 600 already given. His esti-
mate included from five to six million
dollars on transportation companies
S750,000 on telegraph companies, two
or three millions on insurance compa-
MES, $15,000,000 on the banks and
$40 coo. 900 on corporations.
Allison criticised with considerable Sc
verify the provision for taxing corpora
tions. saying that it would be especial
" severe upon stockholders in small
CORPORATIONS, and that it was also liable
to cause double taxation.
In conclusion. Allison said it was one
duty of the Senate to authorize the Sec
retary of the Treasury to borrow from
time to time $500, ,0000o0, or so much
thereof as might be needed for war pur-
poses exclusively, and to issue pei
cent. bonds therefor 1t was also the
purpose to authorize the Secretary OF
the Treasury to issue certificates on the
Indebtedness for S100,000000 to meet
any deficit in the running expenses OF
the Government.
White of California said he wanted to
call the Senate's attention TO the fac'
that the propriety of placing an equlta-
bic tax upon the oil-refning interests
the sugar trust and other great monop-
olies would be forced upon the Senate
The idea was TO place some of the bur
dens of the present war upon those VINO
were able to bear them, as well as upon
those who use little tobacco or take dH
occasional glass of beer.
German of Maryland inquired if the
bill as reported to the Senate did not