The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-04-30
LARGE SUM NEEDED.
Congress Asked to Pass a Bill tc
Increase tho Governments
Income.

Washington. D. c., April 26.-Chair-
nan Dingley of the ways and means com
mittee today submitted to the House
with the war revenue uill the following
report:
a war with Spain has rendered it necessary
to Immediately provide ways and means
TO meet war expenditures on the scale de-
manded by modern naval and military op-
erationS. Such an unwelCOme demand on
our resources comes at a time when, under
workings of the tariff act Of July "A, 1897,
we had begun to overcome In large measure
the Injurious effect of anticipatory importa-
tions, and had already received, in the
months Of February and March. revenue
more than 100000 in excess of ordinary
peace expenditure for these months ,S4.
100000 of the expenditures appearing in
the March statement having been made
on the account OF preparations for national
defense. under authority Of the Joint reso-
luton of March 81 and that, too. with a
large falling of of customs revenue the last
ten days OF March in consequence Of the
disturbance of trade arising from threat
encd war.
There is no doubt IL peace conditions had
continued, the estimate OF the secretary Of
the treasury that the revenue for the next
fiscal year would reach $500 NS. .Os-cx-
elusive of postal receipts. s63,op",oo-in
excess Of the revenue for the fiscal year
1896. and more than that sum in excess
of what the revenues for the fiscal year
1897 would have been. had it not been for
anticipatory importations in the last four
months of the latter year. to avoid the in
creased duties OF the new tarin,woutd
have been more than realized and these
receipts would have fully met the expendl-
lures for the next fiscal year IL ii had not
been for the increase caused by the dif-
fculties with Spain, iDaSmuch the eX-
penditures for the fiscal year 1896. e1-
elusive Of postal expenditures paid by
postal revenue, We're only 12Ooo.HS and
for the fiscal year 1897 only S}6J. 600, 600
These ljthrnltipS hpfnrn
dtious arose. had so stirred the public
mind to demand largely increased ap-
preparations for enlarging the navy and
for national dcfenses. The destruction OF
the United States battleShip Maine in the
harbor of Havana on the 18th Of February
last. so intensified the situation that Con
grcsS. a few weeks thereafter, realized the
necessity OF taking prompt measures to
prepare for any exigency, and by joint reso-
luton appropriated 100000 for national
defense.
Upon the authority Of this joint resoIn-
tion about SO, Oo0. 600 OF this appropriatio
have already been practically used al
though payments have as Yet been made
for only a part OF this sum- and liabilities
for the remainder OF the appropriation will
have been incurred within two weeks
An examination OF the condition Of the
treasury VIII make it apparent that no time
should be lost in providing ample ways and
means for carrying to a successful conc!u-
sion the war in which we are now engaged
The war revenue bill as reported to the
House today contains three changes from
the bill as originally drafted, as follows:
A discount of > per cent on beer
stamps is allowed after the passage of the
act. Telephone messages are subject to a
tax of l cent on messages transmitted
thirty miles or more, the cost of which
does not exceed p cents: between -
cents and S1.5O cents: between 81 80
and 81. : cents: in excess of 50, 10 cents.
Official telephone and telcGraphic mes
Sages of the government are exempt from
taxation.
mineral waters and beverages. domestic
or imported. not otherwise subject to in
t"rnal taxation. in half-pint bottles is
elimina ted so that the dividing line in pint
bottles containing one pint or less to pay
! cent moro than one mint - cents