The San Francisco call., 1898-05-18
OPPOSES WAR
 TAX ON BEER Jones of Arkansas Ex- presses the Views of
 Democrats.
Believes Property and Not Con- sumption Should Bear the
 Burden.
Denounces the Stamp Tax Oner- ous and Says Tobacco Should
 Be Exempt
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House.


 Washington, May IT.
 Considerable progress was made by the Senate to-day in considering the war revenue measure. MT. Jones of Arkansas presented in a general state ment the views of the Democratic mem bers 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 that of the Demo- cratic party was to impose it upon property. He believed that taxation that would raise $150,00 ,000 would be amply sufficient to be carried by this bill, and that if the exigencies of the war should demonstrate that more provide it later. He opposed the prop osition to issue bonds and certificates of indebtedness far in excess of the requirements of the war and held that the expenses should be paid by the Government as the war progresses.
 The Senate chaplain in his invoca- tion at the opening of the session to- day paid a tribute to those who suffer at home through the horrors of war. NIT. I1dIe, 1idII OI I1lC on Naval Affairs, offered the follow ing resolution, which was agreed to:
 That the treasury appointments made by the President on and after April 2l, 1898, 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 and confirmed, to continue in force during the exigency under which their services are required in the existing war Officials so appointed 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 by the Military Affairs Committee by Carter of Mon tana, and passed, providing that pay and allowance of the volunteers en- listed in the United States army shall begin on the day of their enrolment at the State camps, with a provision that volunteer troops sent to the Philippine Islands may draw one months pay in advance, It was explained that the bill applied only to those who as volunteers had enlisted in the United States army.
 On motion of Allison, consideration of the war revenue measure was re- stunned, Jones of Arkansas taking the floor Jones said he doubted whether there was a man in the Senate who was not ready to vote all the money and taxes necessary to carry on the
 
 his duty, he thought, If he should vote for too much money. The problem presented was how much money was needed.
 Jones called attention to the state ment of the Secretary of the Treasury Gage that the additional expenses of the war, over and above the current expenses of the Government, would be about S25,000,000 a. month, a total of perhaps $500, 900, 900 a year Secretary Alger had informed the Finance Com nlittee that the extraordinary war ex- penses of his department would be about $150 900, 000 He thought this amount sufficiently liberal.
 MT. Jones declared that every feature of 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 tax on consump- tion
 Without reaching any agreement as to what portion of the bill should be considered first the Senate proceeded with the reading of the bill MT. Ali son presented tables showing the amounts of the ordinary appropriations for the next fiscal year. They aggre- gate Qess $51, 100000 for the sinking fund) $4S0, ,S49,852. The total estimated revenues Gncluding postal revenues) MT. Allisons tables showed were $4S2,- 874.647, an excess of $2.024,795 over the estimated ordinary appropriations. The appropriation for the war Mr. Allison gave as follows: National defense (act of March g. 1S9S), S50, ,00O, GOO; army, fort if1cations and navy (act of May 4), s35,- 100000; Notifications, s4,000, 900; naval act Gncrease over 1898 for war pur- poses), $23 100,0 coo; naval deficiencies, 1888, $22, 900; naval establishment for 1898, additional s75,000, ,00O; naval auxil- iary bill, S4.000000; immune bill and en- gineer bill, s15,00O,000; army for 1899, additional s150,0O00O Total appropria- tions on account of war, $379, ,192, 900.