The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-24
REVISING THE WAR TAX.
A Draft of . Bill to BE Ready ON
Monday.

A sub committee of the Ways and Means
Committee having under consideration a
bill in revision Of the War Revnue law, and
consisting of Messrs. Payne, Dalzell. and
Hopkins. continued its work at the Capitol
yesterday. Mr.. Payne said that the sub
mittee hoped to be ready to submit rough
draft of the new bill TO the Republican
members of the committee on Monday. and
then a day or two later to submit il TO the
full committee.
Mr.. PAYNE said there was no warrant for
the story published in several news
papers that all stamp taxes would be
removed and that the war tax on beer and
tobacco would not be. This was a pure
guess. he said. No member of the COM
mi;iee had said that the beer and tobac
co TAX would not be cut or that all the
stamp taxes would be removed. He had
told he said. all newspaper men who had
applied to him for Information as to what
the committee was doing or intended to
do in the matter of the reduction of taxa
ton to go ahead and produce a bill after
their own hearts. and that if any bill pro-
duced in this way should be found to be
better than the committees bill. it would
be adopted.
1t is said in the corridors at the Capitol
by those who claim to be informed as to
the proceedings OF the Ways and Means
| Committee that the bill will provide for a
reduction OF internal revenue taxation to
the amount of $50 600. 900 or $35, 600 900, and
z~ncn -.ne urII svts into me L. a. "a AZ.
Senate Finance Committee. The tax Of 10
cents per pound on tea will stand and also
the tax on transfers of stock until the suit
now pending in New York in which "Dea-
con" S. V. White is plaintiff is determined
No reduction, it is unoficially said, will be
made in the additional beer tax.
There is n rumor at the Capitol that
the committee will remove the tax
on proprietary articles. but it may be
that this rumor originated with repre-
sentativcs Of the Retail Druggists AS
sociation. II is also rumored that the
tax on bank checks. express and ware
will be removed.
Representative Russell of Connecticut.
a member of the Ways and Means Com
mittee. said yesterday:
Il think the Revenue bill will be the
first important measure taken up. 1t will
probably come ahead of the Legislative
Appropriation or the Army bill as 1t will
be ready for presentation the first day of
the session The Army bill may be the
next important measure taken up. Meth
er will require much time and both should
be disposed of without delay. The Army
bill should receive consideration as
Soon as it can be prepared and
Introduced l cannot see that any legisla-
ton will be necessary at this session for
the Philippines or Porto Rico. Reports
from the latter island show that progress
is being made there and Information from
the Philippines shows that the Philippine
commission is doing what il can in the
way of reconstruction. A Reapportion-
ment bill should be passed before the end
of The session, and believe the Ship Sub
.sidy bill will also be passed. Little can
be done for Cuba until the result of the
constitutional convention is known"
Representative Boutell of Illinois said
Yesterday that in his opinion there should
be graduated reduction of the war reve-
nue. taxes. He said he considered the tax
on beer unjust inasmuch as it is paid not
by the consumer but by the brewer or
the retailer.