The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-15
BREWERS EFFORTS FAIL
Extended Discussion of the Beer
Tax in the House.
Confederation of the War Revenue
Bill! - Amendments offered by
BnrfhOldt md Newlands Defeated
in Committee of the Whoie-Ex-
press Companies to Pay for Stamps

press Companies to Pay for Stamp,
Efforts to reduce the tax on beer below
the figure recommended by the Committee
on Ways and Meaus-s1 go a barrel-were
unarailing in the House of Representa-
tives yesterday. Mr. Newlands moved tc
make 1t $1.20 barrel, which was de-
feated-e0 to 1875. The amendment Of Mr.
Bar;hcldt, to make tie tax $l.5e a barrel
was defeated-74 to 11S. The commit ee's
proposition was agreed to-159 to IS. The
House refused to agree to an amsndmen,
offered by the Committee ON Ways and
sixth and one-eishth barrels. and by q
vote of 123 to lee adopted an amendment
offered by Representative H. c. Smith OF
Michigan to continue the tax on express
and freight receipts, amounting to 81, 200.
GOO annually, the tax to be paid By the
companies On monthly reports of business
made to the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue. Consideration of the bill will
be continued today.
The War Revenue bill was taken up in
Committee Of the Whole at 1910 o'clock
Mr.. Hepburn being in the chair.
Mr.. Richardson of Tennessee. in control
of the time for the Democratic side.
yielded fifteen minutes to Mr. Maddox OF
Georgia, who answered certain PROPOSE
tions laid down by Mr.. Grosvenor in his
speech yesterday. Mr.. Maddox contended
that the deficit which occurred during Mr..
Cleveland's Administrations was really
created during the Republican Admins
trations preceding. He thought the pend
ing bill was a good measure from a Re-
publican standpoint. but from the stand
point of the Republican party only.
Mr.. Otey advocated the further rsduc-
tion OF taxation on tobacco. Mine hun
dred ard eighty millions of people," he
said. "use tobacco. 600, GOO. 600 people use
tea. 400. coo, 900 use opium, and only 10e-
O000c0 use coffee. Exact statistics re-
garding the use of whisky have not been
able to obtain"
Mr.. Lewis OF Georgia opposed the bill
presented by the majority of the Ways
and Means Committee on the ground that
II did not contemplate enough reduction.
MIR. Sulzcr said he favored the repeal of
the war taxes on the ground that they
were vexatious. burdensome and unneces-
sary. He proved by figures and Stats les
that the repeal of all the war taxes would
not cause deficit in the future. If 1t
did however. he ccntended that the Re-
publican party, charged with the respon-
sibility OF legislation. could raise addi-
tfonal revenue by graduated corporation
tax and graduated Inheritance tax,
which would secure the revenue from the
accumulated wealth of the country and
not from the consumers and the struggling
industries. He made strong argumt Mt
in favor of the reduction of the tax on
beer to 81 barrel, as it was before the
Spanish-American war. Among other
things. Mr.. Sulzer said:
when the War Revenue bill was beins
discussed in this House in 1898. the Re-
publican leaders stated that just SO soon
as the SpanishAmerican war was over
the war taxes would be repealed The
war is over and has been over for two
years. and the consumers and the tax
payers of the country expect the Repub-
lican party TO keep its word. These war
taxes are yexatious. harassing, burden
some, and unnecessary. II they were all
repealed. according to the best evidence
We have. it would not cause a deficit in
the revenues Of the Government. 1t is to
be regretted that the majority members
OF the Ways and Means Committee failed
to meet the reasonable expectations Of
the people,
Speaking in favor OF the repeal OF the
additional war tax on beer, Mr.. Sulzer
said:
Praise for Brewers.
The industry of the brewers is one OF
the most important in the country. It
gives employment to hundreds of thou
sands OF men. The tax on beer is now en-
tirely disproportionate to the tax on other
commodities in the country At the be-
ginning of the civil war the Government
placed tax of 81 barrel on beer, hut
said the tax should be repealed when the
war was over. That tax of 81 a barrel OF;
beer was never repealed. and yet the brew
ers. during the thirty-nine years OF Its
existence. never complained. When the
Spanish-American war began and the War
Revenue act was passed an additional! tax
OF 81 barrel was placed on beer. with
the distinct understanding that this ad-
dftional war tax should be repealed when
the war was over. The brewers of this
country have paid. during the last two
years, about $1,000. 900 annually under the
Spanish-American War Tax law This is
more than one-third of all the taxes col
lected under that act. From 1851 to 1866.
when the tax on a barrel of beer was only
II, the brewers received from s12 to SIS a
barrel. Today beer is selling for S. bar
rel. and the tax is 40 per cent of its value,
I favor the repeal of the additional dollar.
and believe We should keep our word to
The brewers j am willing to vote for the
Amendment OF the gentleman from Nevada
making the tax s1-20 barrel. and / hope
it will be adopted, If We cannot repeal the
additional war tax altogether. The brew
ers pay more than their share of taxes to-
dav- and the burden falls iipon the nra-