The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-17
Senator Allison Opens the De-
bate in the Senate
On the Bill to Raise War Rev
onu0.
NEARLY $4OO,OOO,OOO
Will Be Needed Between Now
and July, 1899,
On the Basis of Estimates AL
ready Made.

washington, May 17.-The debate up
on the war revenue measure was begun
in the senate yesterday. The opening
statement for the committee on finance
was made by Mr.. Allison (Ia.), the
ranking member in the absence of Mr..
Morrill, CVt.). 1t was estimated that the
Dali, as 1t came from the house of repre-
sentatives, would raise about $500 O00,-
900 year. AS reported from the senate
Mr.. Allison estimates that it will raise
$151, 497, 066.
statement, the bill was made the I'M
finished business and it will be pressed
70 passage as soon as possible.
Mr.. Allison said that as the bill came
from the house of representatives it was
an internal revenue measure and as re-
ported to the senate it was still an in
terna1 revenue bill. Comparatively,
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 sched-
ules of the house bill and had been led
to believe that schedules A (stamp tax
esq and B proprietary articleS) were
too general in their scope. Consequent
ly 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
Mr.. Allison said further that in the
committee there was no differences of
opinion as to the necessity of the bill
1t was purely a war revenue measure.
money would be required to run the
war during the next fiscal year, al
though he expressed the hope that it
would last only a few weeks a few
months at the most Mr.. Allison said
that the committee had obtained the
best possible estimates from the secre-
tary of war and the secretary of the
navy. Secretary Alger estimated that
his department would need $3.50, 1926 527.
To this sum must be added at least $15,-
00000 to pay expenses authorized by
congress after the estimate was made.
The estimate of the secretary of the
navy of the expenses of his department
for the same period was 1856, $50, but
in addition to this sum the amount car
ried by the naval appropriation bill
must be considered as a part of the
expenses of the navy. In addition to the
$50,000,0 900 already appropriated as a
war fund, which Mr.. Allison announced
| parenthetically, had been practically
extended, the forthcoming general def
cheney bill would carry a deficiency APP
preparation for the current year of
about $35, 00O, 900 and there is naval de-
fciency of about $22 ,275,000-
The senate finance committee, there
fore, figured that it would require a
| total of at least $379, 1872, 900 to pay the
expenses of the war from the present
time until the first of July, 1899, not
taking into account any emergency eX-
penses that might arise at any mo-
ment.
Mr.. Allison then carefully analysed
| 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
would this year raise 200,0OOOOO, was
too high. In present circumstances and
conditions he doubted whether the bill
| would produce more than $180,000,0 600.
The important question, he said, was
how much money should be provided by
taxation and how much by loan. In
committee he had been willing to in
crease the revenue feature so as to in
sure $125, 900, 600. On this point the COM
| mittee on finance had divided, some
members desiring to raise much as or
more than $3.50, 100000, and he thought
that the bill would produce this amount
| irrespective of the Democratic amend
| ments. Indeed, he thought that the bill
as agreed to by all the members would
| produce even to exceed $150, 600, 900, while
he thought the house bill would not
| produce to exceed $105, 100000.
Taking up the amendments inserted
without the cooperation of the Repub-
| 1ican members of the finance commit
tee and known as the Democratic
amendments, Mr.. Allison expressed the
opinion that in addition to the green
back and seigniorage provisions, these
would yield SIS, 900 900 in the aggregate,
in addition to the estimate of $3.50, 000, 900
already given. His estimate included
from S., 900, 600 to Sc, 000, 900 on transport
tation companies, $3.50, 900 on Geographic
messages, 81, 900 to 100000 in
surance companies SIS 600, 900 on banks,
and $45, 900 900 on corporations.
Mr.. Allison criticised with considera-
BILE severity the provision for taxing
corporations, saying that it would be
especially severe upon stockholders in
small corporations and that it was also
liable to cause double taxation. In con-
clusion Mr.. Allison said it was one duty
of the senate to authorize the secretary
of the treasury to borrow from time to
time $500, 000, 900 or so much thereof as
might be needed for war purposes ex-
clusively and to issue per cent bonds
therefor. 1t was also the purpose to
authorize the secretary of the treasury
to issue certificates of Indebtedness for
800, 900, 900 to meet any deficit in the
running expenses of the government.
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