The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1898-05-18

beers Alone, and Others Exempted From
the Operations of the Bill.
WASHINGTON, May 13.-The senate
committee ON finance has concluded its
consideration of the war revenue bill
after two weeks sitting and Senator
Allison reported it to the senate. Notice
was given that it will be taken up for
consideration Monday. The bill shows
that all the provisions in the house bill
for the issuance of bonds and certificates
of indebtedness were stricken out, and
Mr.. Allison, in reporting the measure,
made minority report giving authority
for the bond issue.
An amendment, inserted at the in
stance of the Democrats, provides for
the issuance of $3.50, 100000 in green
backs.
There is also provision for the coin
age of the silver seigniorage.
The provision inserted at the instance
of the Democratic members of the COM
mittee and which has during the con-
sideration of the bill been known as the
corporation tax is much broader in its
scope than this description would lead
one to believe. The first paragraph of
this provision is as follows:
every person, firm, company, or
corporation owning or possessing or
having the care or management of any
railroad, street railroad, sleeping car,
canal steamboat, ship, barge, canal
boat, or other vessel, or any stage coach
or other vehicle, except hacks or car
riages not running on continuous routes,
engaged or employed in the business Of
transporting passengers or freight for
hire, or in transporting the mails OF the
United States, shall be subject to and
pay special annual excise tax equiva-
lent to one-fourth of one percentum of
the gross receipts"
A like tax of one-fourth of per cent
of the gross receipts is imposed on ''any
person, firm, company or corporation,
carrying on or doing an express bust
ness" also on any person, etc., downing
or possessing or having the care or man
agement Of any telegraphic or telephone
line;" also on life, fire, machine or acct
dent insurance or companies for the
security and assurance Of employers
against losses by employees, all Of which
are to pay on the basis of premiums and
cruing, like taxes to be paid by foreign
companies doing business in the United
States; also on persons, etc., furnishing
gas or electric light, electric power,
steam heat, steam power, refining sugar
or refinining petroleum. Then follows
the provision for a tax on corporations,
giving the exemptions, which are as
follows:
That every corporation doing business
in the United States, whether chartered
under the laws of the United States or
any state OF territory of the United
States, or any foreign country, shall pay
a special annual excise tax, and said tax
shall be the equivalent of one-fourth of
| per centum of the whole amount of
the gross receipts Of such corporations
derived from such business.
Religious societies, lodges that pay
benefits. educational, benevolent and
cemetery corporations, municipal or
other public corporations, or building
and loan associations that loan to MEM
bers alone are exempted.
Another paragraph in this portion Of
the bill imposes an excise tax on banks.
Persons effected by these provisions
are required to make monthly returns.
Evasions of payment for ten days are
punished by the addition of 10 per cent
and for attempts at knowing evasions a
penalty of 81 900 is provided.
Taking up the bill at the beginn- ng
the more important amendments are as
follows:
Stored beer, ale, etc., are exempted
from the operations of the act; the dis
count on the beer tax is increased from
8 to ~ per cent, for the house provision
for stamps on beer, etc., simpler one
is substituted.
A license is imposed on bankers.
There are great many changes in
the tobacco schedule. The tax on manu-
featured tobacco, snuff, etc., is in
creased from IL to 16 cents per pound;
the tax on cigars weighing more than
three pounds per 1000 is reduced from
"a to $3.50 per 1000; on small cigars,
from So to 81; on cigarettes, from 80 to
81. so per 1000.
The penalty for a violation of section
4, relating to adhesive stamps, is in
creased so as to make the offense q mis-
demeanor, punishable by fine of
$500 or imprisonment for year, or
both. Failure to cancel stamps is also
made m1Sdemeanor, punishable by q
fine of $50 or by imprisonment for six
months. The paragraph authorizing
private dies is stricken out. Imprison-
ment is also added as one of the penal
ties for issuing or accepting unstamped
documents. Indeed, this addition is
made to- almost all the provisions for
=iic,ating any portion of the bill, the
eHect being to make the bill far more
stringent than it was as it came from
the house.
The provision in section II, relating
to telegraph messages, which in the
house bill exempted free and press
messages, is amended so as to include
these, by making the provision apply tc
all messages.
Upon each sale, contract, agreement
Or other evidence of sale of any
products or merchandise at any OK.
change, or board of trade, either fol
present or future delivery, for each $10t
in value of said sale, cent, and fol
each additional 800 or fractional part
thereof in excess of 800, cent.
A proviso is added, requiring stamps
to the necessary amount be affixed tx
the bill, memorandum or evidene Of
sale. The penalty is the same as the
previous proviso.
The house exemption of bank checks
under $50 is stricken out, leaving al
checks, drafts, etc., subject to the stanlI
of cents. The rate on domestic bills
of exchange of less than 800 is reduced
to cents and cents is added to this
rate for each additional 800. This pro
vision is made applicable to postoffict
money orders.
A uniform rate of cent is required
on all bills of lading, manifests, re
ceipts, etc., for packages issued by rail
road, steamboat, express companies, etc
A tax of cent is also imposed upor
conversations over telephone hnel
where the charge exceeded 10 cents.
The rate on indemnifying bonds il
| increased from 25 to so cents.
The provision for taxing deeds Of con
veyance is changed SO as to make tn,
rate so cents where the consideration il
| below $500 and adding 30 cents Cor eacl
| additional $500.
| A uniform rate of cent is made OF
| Geographic dispatches.
The rate on ordinary life insuranc,
| policies is increased from 2 cents ON thu
800 to 10 cents. On fire insurance
| companies the rate is fixed at one-hal
| of one cent on each dollar OF the pre-
MUM and the same rate is made on tn
| premiums Of casualty, fidelity ant
guarantee companies.
| The tax or mortgages Of less thar
| 81, 800 In amount is fixed at % cent
and q like sum added for each add
| tional $500.
Trademarks are included in the tax
able articles in schedule B, relatinl
| largely to druggists proprietary articles
There ere slight changes in all the rate
| y11ox~ k1,iu ,<I oJ.r1o