The times., 1899-12-24
THE WAR REVENUE TAXES
Representative Russell Hopes the
Law Will Soon Be Revised.
Many Industries Handicapped by Its
Present Terms-Thc Attitude of the
Beer ProducerS-A Lobby Said to
BE Maintained Here by the Large
Brewing Concerns OF the Country.

A revision of the war revenue Law may
be attempted during the present session
of Congress- Representative Russell of Con
necticut, member of the Ways and Means
Committee. and prominently identified with
internal revenue legislation says that he
hopes the state of the revenues will con-
tinue 50 satisfactory that Congress, be-
fore this session is over, will decide to re
wise the law.
He believes that this would surely be
done if there could be some advance agree
ment as to the lines in which corrections
should be made. The one thing which he is
working for first is the removal Of the tax
on the alcohol used in the arts. A system
of administration could easily be devised
he thinks. which would avoid the difficult
ties that have heretofore been raised
against free alcohol,
The present tax, internal revenue officers
maintain is far above the revenue point
1t is so high that it defeats its own pur.
pose. besides handicaping severely many
American industries. Mr.. Russell also
wants provision made for a rebate on the
alcohol used in proprietary preparations
which are exported.
The express stamp tax is Of somewhat
varied inconvenience. Alcng the Eastern
Seaboard and to an extent in Chicago
more complaint is made Of this tax than
Of anything else in the revenue law
Throughout the country as a whole. how
ever there is not so much complaint as
with the patent medicine stamps. for eX-
ample. A strong effort will be made TO
have these proprietary stamps removed.
and the large concerns which make these
articles viii be able to put up strong fight
ia their behalf 1t is said that taxes are
not remtted upon the score of merit, pure
and simple, but rather in accordance with
the degree of pressure. The payers CT some
taxes are in a position to make their in
iuence strongly felt in Congress; those
upon whom ether taxes fall are wholly at
the mercy Of the lawmakers
good case in point is the beer tax.
Representative Babcock of Wisconsin has
introduced bill for the repeal Of the beer
feature Of the war revenue act, and it is
acknowledged that he has a very strong
combination behind him. And yet no tax
a majority Of members of Congress say, is
more just or more easily borne than this
1t is an enormous revenue producer. To
this almost everybody agrees, and yet the
brewing interest if it should set out to
90 so, might hold up Mr.. Hanna on the
verge of a Presidential campaign. and de-
mand relief from this taxation. They know
that he has the power to give them what
they want. He represents the AdIninistTa-
tiCn on the floor of the Senate, and the
Administration is very strong there, not
only in numbers, but in that affection
/ which comes from joint disposal of
Federal patronage.
/ II Nh Hanna really made up his mind
that it was political necessity TO remove
J the tax on beer. he could, some persons
say. command the necessary votes. In the
/ House he is not quite so potent and the
Republican majority there is small, but
the Democrats might be counted on TO do
what they could TO embarrass the Republi-
cans in the forthcoming campaign Mean
/ while it is claimed that the brewing in
! terests are maintaining a lobby here,
( which is said to represent S5 per cent Of
{ the trade in the United States.
A strong effort is making to have the
tax on hides removed The opposition,
/ however on the part of the four. great
packing companies OF Chicago is very
strenuous. and it viii be difficult to over
come The profits of these companies from
the hide tax are enormous; they can afford
( to spend considerable sums in its main
tenance.