The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-18
Most Important. Probably, Is the Pro-
posed Reduction Of Internal
Revenue Taxation.
MR.. HEpBURNs CANAL BILL
To COME uP IN SENATE UNDER sPE-
CIAL ORDER ON DEC. 10.
OIeomargnrine, Ship Subsidy. Pure
Food, Army REORGANIZATION and
other Measures 10 he Passed.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.-When the Fiji
ty-sixth Congress meets on Monday. Dec.
5. next, FOR its final session. IL will find
enough TO do TO occupy its working hours
in the short span OF legislative life re-
manning to il. or vital Importance are
the regular appropriation bills which carry
the money necessary TO keep in operation
the various departments. Legislative. ex-
ecutive and judicial. of the government.
Money makes the mare co. says the
homely proverb and money makes the gov
eminent 60 Without 1t the government
would die of inanition. Besides the regular
appropriation bills. there probably will be
river and harbor bill passed at this
session. the last session having let this
important measure go over. Money FOR gov
ernmental purposes has TO be raised by
taxation before il can be appropriated.
unless il be secured by borrowing One OF
the questions of most general interest
that Congress will be called on 20 decide
at the coming session is what reduction
can be made in the internal revenue taxa
ton. Chairman Payne has called the COM
mittee on ways and means 10 meet Nov.
20, TO begin the work OF framing a bill TO
reduce this class OF taxes. The brewers
and the proprietary medicine men are
strenuous in their demands for a reduction
OF taxation on their products, but before
their wishes will be complied with the
committee will prefer TO give relief to the
public in general by repeating the stamp
taxes on Geographic dispatches, express
packages. commercial paper. deeds. mort
cages, and bank checks and drafts. Il
1ot
rest of the taxation remain as ii is for a
season. owing to the great expense entailed
upon the government by the troubles in
China and other abnormal conditions.
The Hepburn bill TO provide for the con-
struction of a canal connecting the waters
of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans tths
Nicaragua biID, which passed the House
| at the last session, will come up for con-
| sideration IN the Senate under a special
order on Monday, Dec. 10, at O'Clock p
| m. 1t will come before the Senate every
| day at that hour until il is disposed Of.
| There is no need TO dwell uDon the far
reaching, worldwide importance of this
measure. Its passage is assured II it can
reach a vote. :. bill to provide for the
construction of this great waterway con-
Meeting the two greatest oceans would
have passed long ago had it not been for
the delays caused by the sending Of one
commission after another 10 examine and
report upon routes, a work that has been
done many times before The House acted
without waiting for the report OF the latest
OF these time-consuming commissions, and
the Senate will not delay action for it
Therefore, it is understood that the report
of the Walker commission. as the latest
is called, will be forthcoming promptly on
the assembling Of Congress. IL will not in
Huence the Senate. but fits submission and
printing will save the face OF the COM
mission, to borrow a phrase from our
friends, the diplomats. IL will require q
long time to construct the canal after Con-
gress has authorized it. but let US hope not
so long a time as has been consumed in
passing the bill
In the House the first measure TO be
taken up under special order viii be the
Grout bill to tax colored oleomargarine 10
cents a pound while the uncolored article
escapes with the existing tax OF ? cents
a pound. II is not proposed 70 tax colored
butter. Chairman wadsworth, OF the COM
mittee on agriculture. is opposed 10 the
let the tax on oleomargarine ard other but
ter substitutes remain where IL is now.
cents a pound but to require those
articles TO be put up for sale In packages
not less than "A pound, or half-pound, each
package bearing its appropriate revenue
stamp. and to be- sold only in such original
stamped packages. exactly as smoking to-
bacco is sold the covering OF each package
1
it contains. The Grout bill is a special or
der for Thursday. Dec. s. and IL viii be
disposed Of in the House that week. the
first of the session. a very stiff fight viii
be made against the Grout biz. which viii
find its greatest strength probably in an
effort TO substitute for it the Wordsworth
bill II the Grout bill passes the House
the fight against it viii be kept up i'm the
Senate. where the shortness Of the session
will initiate against its final enactment
XXX
In both Houses favorable reports have
been made on a bill TO promote the COM
merce and Increase the foreign trade OF
the United States. and to provide auxiliary
cruisers. transports. and scamen for gov
eminent use when necessary. In common
parlance this is the shipping subsidy bill
ate by Senator Hanna. and IN the House
by Representative Payne. then chairman
OF the committee on merchant marine and
fisheries, now chairman OF ways and means
aud floor leader Of the Republicans ana
who says he thinks IL will become a law
a. this session. In the Senate the favorable
report was made by Senator Frye. chair
man OF the committee on commerce, ana
I'm the House by General Grosvenor. who
succeeded Mr.. Payne as chairman of mer-
chant marine and fisheries. and who n
popularity looked on as the personal rep
resentative OF the administration on tho
floor of the House. The friends OF this
measure urge IL upon the ground that only
by granting reasonable subsidies 10 Ameri-
can vessels can this country restore SO
merchant marine. keep al home> the MIL
liens now paid out for ocean transporter
ton OF goods and passengers. and provide
a supply OF seamen and transports In time
Of war. They declare that the merchant
marine OF every other maritime country