The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-05

The Ways and Means Committee mem
bers are not so near final conclusion
regarding the features of II ar tax
reduction as they were before the brew
cry interests appeared in force to demand
a reduction of $50, 1000 on their sched-
uIe alone, which is So, O0O, 900 in excess of
the amount agreed upon by the President
and Secretary of the Treasury as a safe
reduction, with due recognition of the ne
cessity for maintaining the sinking fund.
The astonishing potency Of beer makers
as a legislative factor was not more clear
ly shown in the ascendancy Of Represent
alive Babcock of Wisconsin to the Ways
and Means Committee than in the strenu-
BUSINESS with which they have democrat
lied the bill carefully perfected by the
majority of the committee over a week
ago, before Other interests than those Of
the public at large had been taken into
consideration. When the majority of the
committee began its IaboTs early last
month 1t announced with emphatic posi-
tiYeness that hearings would not be
granted, briefs would not be received,
and its work would be pursued wholly
With the assistance Of data furnished by
suggestions or recommendations from
revenue officials, q bill was completed
making an estimated reduction Of $780,,
000, 600 for the next fiscal year.
The reductions included the most veZ-
ing and burdensome items ofsSchedule 4
OF the War Revenue law Of July l. 1898.
covering the use C documentary stamps,
and amounting to So. DOC. 900. and pro-
prietary duties of Schedule 3, and upon
Iegacies to charitable and similar en-
dowed institutions. The members OF The
committee have uniformly declined to
discuss the matter, solemn pledge OF
secrecy having been exacted at the be
ginning of their deliberations, as a pre-
caution for preservation, il being
well known from experience that publ
cation of their intentions would bring
down upon them such irresistible forces
rs make the lives of tariff tinkeTers and
revenue refOrmers not worth prolonsinS.
But it was utterly impossible to pre-
vent the fact from becoming known as
soon as many members of Congress
reached Washington that it had been de-
cided to make no changes whatever in
the beer. tobacco. snuff, cigar. cigarette,
and similar schedules. including those
which hear least heavily on individuals
The reductions Included the abolition of
duties on kilograms and express receipts,
deeds. conveyances- assurances policies,
negotiable paper. bills of lading and *
change. brokers and bankers and banks
schedules. manifssts and proprietary ar
rtcles. The stamp check tax was re
tanned
The brewers demand is for the abOli-
tiOn Of the entire war tax on beer, and
was SO insistent that members Of the
committee saw at once that no legsia-
ton could probably be had that did not
H,=7 g-.~srr s.r 1ag
were firmly disposed to cling to every
provision OF the bill they had already
perfected and a closer study Of Treasury
nnances, with some strdining TO ret the
exigency. convinced the committee that il
would be possible safely to reduce the
receipts by go. 00G 900 or so 600 co. and
with certain involved rebate features
about half the relief asked by the brew
erz might be secured The brewing rep
resentatives are credited today with
having spurned the compromise. and ia
sisted on the sweeping reduction CT a tax
which they declare is altogether unjust,
and with having emphasized the aI.er-
native of no bill or no beer tax
A disposition is manifest to attempt 20
pass the bill through the House with re-
bate and reduction features which viii re-
duce the additional beer revenue to about
S15.0C0, 600 on the present basis OF reduc-
ton and let the Senate take its part Of
the responsibility for ignoring the require
ments OF the sinking fund as. according to
Secretary Gage. il was neglected during
the six years from 1891 to 1889. trusting 10
continued prosperity to overcome the antfc-
ipated deficiency.
An interesting table, which was prepar-
cd by the Chief Clerk OF the Internal Rev
enue Bureau, and which has been laid be
fore the Ways and Means Committee. in
dieates that the $50. eco coo suggested by
the Administration for reduction may be
regarded as properly conservative and
could be safely exceeded 90 per cent. This
table gives the detailed total receipts IN
der the War Revenue act from June I3
1888. 10 October 81. 1860. amounting to
$249,543. f45-03- That portion Of the tabu-
latiOn which is important as showing the
reductions which may be made IS the COL
umns showing the producing power Of the
schedules for the last year, and for the
first third Of the present fiscal year. as
follows