Evening star., 1900-11-29
WAR TAX REDUCTION
PROBABLE COURSE OF THE DEMO-
GRATIS IN THE HOUSE.
The Bill as Passed by That Body May
BE Changed in the
Senate.

Although the republican members of the
ways and means committee expect to sub
init the bill for the reduction of the war
taxes to the democratic members of the
committee on Saturday next, the bill is
not likely to be changed before it gets to
the House. The democrats have announced
themselves as intending to offer a number
of amendments to the bill, but they will
likely reserve this action until the measure
is before the House. If the ways and
means committee refuse to accept or al
low any amendments to be made in the
House, the democrats say they will pre-
pare a substitute bill for the measure and
offer 1t when the vote is taken on the ways
and means committee bill. While it is con-
ceded that the ways and means committee
are going to limit the reductions of the
revenue to about $50, ,000, 600, 1T is acknow-
edged that when the Senate committee on
finance gets to work on the bill many
changes will be made, and that the real
measure that will become law will be
framed in the conference committee be-
tween the two houses.
Make One Job of 1t.
Within the last two or three days men,
bers of Congress who have returned to
Washington have expressed opinions that
If the revenue reduction bill is to pass
this session 1t will be best to make one
job and not do 1t by piecemeal A promi-
nent member of Congress, who will have
good deal to do in framing the bill in the
shape it will finally become as a law, in
speaking about this question, said: "It is
my opinion that We had better make one
bite Of the cherry and take off all unneces-
sary taxes at one time and leave only those
that are to permanently remain. There
are number of taxes provided for by the
war revenue bill which will remain perma-
nently. There are others that are burden
some and annoying and only intended to
be temporary, which should be taken off
at once. 1t Is proposed by some of the
members Of Congress at the present ses-
sion only to relieve certain Of these annoy
ing taxes and to keep down the reduction
Of revenue to a certain figure. This will
only create dissatisfaction, because those
relieved will only think they are getting
their just dues, while those sighted will
become more importunate. There Is a cash
balance in the treasury and national banks
of over $135, 100000 and the excess of
ceipts for the last year was over $15OOO,O 600,
which shows that the revenues are piling
up surplus in the treasury. a thing only
popular to the Secretary of the Treasury,
who always likes to have comfortable
cash balance, but it also shows that there
Is no reason for the continuance Of excess
i've internal taxation. Owing to the pros
porous business conditions of the country,
the receipts from customs this year will
increase, because the people have money,
and they will import many of the luxuries
which they must deny themselves in less
prosperous times. For this reason 1t is my
opinion that the war taxes can be cut to
the limit and not confined to a cut Of
twenty or thirty millions, as proposed by
the ways and means committee"
The ways and means committee will not
be surprised If it's measure, when it reaches
the Senate, is treated outlined above.
Its purpose in preparing bill SO hurriedly
was principally to pass it through the
House before the holiday recess and thus
get it into the Senate in ample time for
that body to get to work upon it.