New-York tribune., 1900-12-05
BREWERS POWER SHOWN.
THEY DEMAND ABOLITION OF THE WAR
TAX on BEER.
LITTLE PROGRESS ON THE REDUCTION
BILL MADE BY THE WAYS AND
MEANS COMMITTEE.
Epr rEtraRAPE TO THE rRIBuxE. ]

fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNFl
Washington. Dec. 4.-The Ways and Means
Committee members were not near hna
] conclusion regarding the features OF war tax re
duction tonight as they were before the brewery
interests appeared in force to demand reduc'
ton OF SS3 100000 on their schedule alone WHICH
is 100000 in excess OF the amount agFeed
upon by the President ana Secretary OF the
Treasury as q safe reduction with due reeogni-
ton Of the necessity for maintaining the sinking
fund. The astonishing potency Of beer makers
as a legislative factor was not more clearly
shown in the aseendaney Of Representative Bah
cock, Of wisconsin, 20 the Waye and Means
! Committee than in the strenuousness with which
/ they have demoralized the bill carefully per
J fected by the majority OF the committee over a
/ week ago before other interests than those OF
the public at large had been taken into eonsie-
Grafton. When the majority Of the cemmittee
began its laboTs early last month it announced
with emphatic positiveness that hearings would
not be granted, briefs would not be received and
its work would be pursued wholly free from
prejudieed representations. With the assistance
OF data furnished BY the Treasury Department,
but without suggestions or recommendations
from revenue officials a bill was eoEnplsted MAX
ing an estimated reduction Of 100000 for the
next fiscal year
PRESSURE ON THE COMMITTEE.
The reductions included the most vexing and
burdensome items Of Schedule a of the War
Revenue law of July l. 1895. covering the use
Of documentary stamps, and amounting TO
S25000O00 and the proprietary duties Of Sched-
uIe 3, and upon legaeies 10 charitable and simi-
lar endowed institutions. The members Of the
committee have uniformly declined to discuss
the matter. a solemn pledge Of secrecy having
been exacted at the beginning Of their delibera-
for eT1yaf
being well known from experience that publea-
ton OF their intentions would bring down upon
them such Irresistible forces as make the lives
OF tariff tinkerers and revenue reformers not
worth prolonging.
But it was utterly impossible to prevent the
fact from becoming known as soon as many
members Of Congress reached Washington that
il had been decided to make 10 changes what
ever in the beer tobacco, snuff. cigar. cigarette
and similar schedules. including those which
bear least heavily on individuals. The redue-
tions included the abolition Of duties on tele-
grams and express receipts, deeds, conveyances |
insurance policies. negotiable paper. bills of
lading and exchange, brokers and bankers and |
banks schedules, manifests. and proprietary |
articles. The stamp check tax was retained.
The brewers demand is for the abolition of
the entire war tax beer. and was so in |
sistept that members Of the committee saw at |
oLce that no legislation could probably be had /
that did not curtan that feature OF the law |
They were firmly disposed TO cling to every |
provision Of the bill they had already perfected,
ard q closer study Of Treasury finances, with /
straining meet the exigency, convinced |
the committee that it would be possible safely |
TO reduce the receipts by $40.0000OO or $45,0O0,-
co., and with certain involved rebate features |
about half the relief asked by the brewers |
might be secured. The brewing representatives |
are credited to-day with having spurned the /
compromise aud insisted on the sweeping re-
ductioR Of q tax which they declare is alto
gether unjust, and with having emphasized the
alternative Of no bill or no beer tax.
PROPOSED REDUCTION OF BEER TAX
disposition is manifested tonight to at
tempt 10 pass the bill through the House with
rebate and reduction features which viii reduce
the additional beer revenue to about Sl5, 600 600
or the present basis OF reduction and let the
Senate take its part Of the responsibility for ig
noTing the requirements Of the sinking fund. as.
according 10 Secretary Gage it was neglected
during the six years from 1894 10 1893, trusting
TO continued prosperity 10 overcome the antici-
pated deficiency.
An interesting table. which was prepared by
the chief clerk OF the Internal Revenue Bureau.
and which has been laid before the Ways and
Means Committee indicates that the $50. COO. 900
suggested by the Administration for reduction
may be regarded as properly conservative and
could be safely exceeded 30 per cent. This table
gives the detailed total receipts under the War
Revenue act from June l3, 1898 10 October 81,
lSUU, amounting 10 S349. .543 145 o. That Dor |
ton Of the tabulation which is important as
showing the reductions which may be made is
the columns showing the producing power Of
the schedules for the last year and for the first
third OF the present fiscal year, as follows: