The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-05-03
THE VOLUNTEERS.
Every Endeavor Being Made to Cr-
ganize Them Into an Army.
Tax on Chewing Gum Reduced-Tax on
Beer is Extended to Cover Beer
s'StOred"-A Tax on All Pay
Telephone Messages.

WASHINGTON, April 29.-Every en-
deavor is being put forward by the war
department to organize the volunteer
army and increase the regular army to
its full war strength, measures which
REQUIRE large amount of detailed and
laborious work. 1t is the confident
expectation of the officials that rapid
progress will be made with this
work, and that in the course
of several weeks affairs will
have so shaped themselves that
the volunteers and regulars will be in
fairly good organized conditional
most if not ready for their mobiliza-
ton at the more central points prior
to their active work in the field. Not
withstanding that the apportionment
of troops among the states and the
designation of their rendezvous were
made after careful consideration, eff
forts to have them changed are still
being made and Secretary Alger and
Adjt. Gen. COrbin were Thursday
again busy considering applications in
this direction.
The republican members of the ways
and means committee held meeting
Thursday at which so amendments to
the war revenue bill were agreed to.
These will be offered in the house FRI
day. Many of them were mere
verbal amendments, but there
were some of considerable i'm
portance. One of these eX-
empts mutual and cooperative life in
surance companies from taxation. The
tax on insurance companies is trans
ferred from the policies to the premi-
ums. In this the amendment conforms
to the law of 1866. The tax on
marine, inland and fire insurance poll
cies is extended to cover employers
liability associations, title insurance
companies, glass and all other special
insurance companies, of which many
classes have grown up in the past few
years.
Railroad Geographic messages and
all other leased wire messages are eX-
empted by an amendment limiting the
tax to messages on which the compan-
les charged are to be paid or to be col
lected."
3
from one cent on a fve-cent package
to one-quarter of a cent. The tax on
beer is extended to include beer
stored" The amendment was deem
ed necessary to cover beer in storage.
The license of dealers in leaf tobacco
is reduced from $24 to $l2 on those
whose sales do not exceed $4,000
per annum, and from $4S to $24
on dealers whose sales exceed that
amount. The most important amend
ment was one which levies tax of one
cent on all pay telephone messages
costing below % cents. The original
provision exempted messages for dis
tance below so miles. Mr. Tawney, OF
Minnesota, estimates that this amend
ment, which will cover all city and
suburban business, will raise $5,OOO,-
OOO
There have been some conferences
between the republican and democrat
ic leaders on the question of the final
vote on the war revenue bill II
some OF the democrats should vote
against the bill on its final pas
sage on account of the bond pro-
vision. it is feared that their
action might be misunderstood
abroad where it is important that a
solid front be presented. 1t seems
likely now, therefore. that the opposi-
ton will content itself with record
vote on the proposition to strike out
the bond and substitute the income
tax, and that there shall be no final
roll call upon the final passage. There
will simply be a viva voce vote.