Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-03
REDUCTION OF TAXES
SENATE INDISPOsED TO TAKE Up
THE SUBJECT.
VIII Postpone IL to Next Session-Ob-
Jecf OF Chairman Payne's Resolu-
ton Stated by Himself

No disposition is manifested in the Senate
to disturb the war revenue taxes during
the present session of Congress RepubIi-
can members of the Senate committee on
finance who are in the city agree in ex-
pressing the opinion that the session is too
far advanced to Justify any effort in that
direction at the present time. Some al
them say that there is no menace in the
present surplus of revenue. and they gem
orally agree that as circumstances would
not permit the removal of the entire tax
it would be very complicated work 10
make an equitable adjustment. They say
that this work will have to be undertaken
at the beginning of a session when under
taken at all.
Chairman PayBe's object.
The resolution of Chairman Payne of the
ways and means committee relative to the
treasury surplus and the probable income
and expenses of the government. is mere
preliminary to the determination by the
ways and means committee whether il will
be safe to recommend any reduction in the
present sources of income. After the adop-
ton of the resolution by the House Mr.
Payne authorized the following statement:
The object of the resolution is to get in
formation from the Secretary of the Treas
ury that will enable the ways and means
coHlintttee 10 aeteflnlnc whether II Is safe
to attempt reduction Of the revenue and
in case thai is decided affirmativeiy then
along what lines this reduction should be-
made. 1t is true there Is a surplus OF SD
Hh.on for the nine months ending Satur- e
day last, and SIG, .rl. 900 for the month of .
March Whether this surplus is to be in
creased or not for the balance of the fiscal
year Is one OF the questions on which we !
desire information.
Should all of the $50 900 900 of bonds
winch can be refunded under the refund
ing act be presented some sS6. O00ooO would /.
be absorbed in this operation. Ii will re- /
quire S29ooa.ao9 20 refund the bonds al
ready deposited with the Secretary of the :
treasury under the act recently passed
W nat We desire to, know is the effect of
TINS upon the surplus and the proba Bile
expenses OF the next fiscal year. in order
10 safely determine upon reduction of
the revenue"
Prospect of IessisIation.
Mr.. Payne was asked IL he considered &
probable that legislation for this reduction :
would be presented at this session of Con- :
gress.
Il cannot say as to that until we get the !.
Information If any action is taken suffi-
Gent reduction can be made under the war
revenue act. which was an emergency act /!
passed in 1898 / am opposed to Interfering
IN any way with the Dihgiey tariff law Of :
1897" " d.
Representative Dalzell of PENNSYLVANIA. a =.
colleague of Mr.. Payne on the WAYS and
means committee, said that in no event
would there be any step toward changing
the tariff law, as the reduction of revenue, :
II made, would be through a revision of :
some of the features of the war revenue
act AS to what items might be affected /:
Mr.. DaIzelI said that would depend largely !
upon the information furnished BY the Sec
rotary of the Treasury. and the amount of
the reduction He expressed the opinion .
however, that the stamp taxes which came
most generally under the eye of the public
were those likely to receive early attention. .