Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-20
Republican Members Of Ways and
Means Committee Meet.
CONFERENCE WITH SECRETARY GAGE
Ding|ey Bill Not to Be Touched as
to Customs Duties.
PRESSURE BY INTERESTS

Republican members of the ways and
means committee who are In the city met
in conference in the committee room at the
Capitol today to take up consideration of a
reduction of the war taxes. Those present
We're: Messrs. Payne, Dalzell, Mccall. Taw-
ney, Grosvenor, Steele and Long. Mr.. Rus
sell of Connecticut was absent, and the
vacancy caused by the appointment of Mr..
Dolliver to the Senate has not been filed
The committee spent about two hours in
talking over the prelminaries of the work.
Definite decision was reached upon two
points follows:
The Dingley tariff act will not be touched,
nor any provision of the customs law.
This means that the duty on tea will not be
disturbed.
There will be no hearings the committee
having in its possession the views submit
ted last session by the various interests de-
manding reductions, and additional testi-
mony sent in since adjournment in the
form of briefs
The discussion in the committee developed
the fact that there is a general disposition
among the members to reduce some of the
war taxes if subsequent events show it to
be feasible and desirable. 1t was agreed
however, by all present, that there were
many considerations to be taken into ac-
count before radical action was attempted
For instance. it was desirable that the
committee should know whether the needs
OF the government will demand additional
appropriations over the sum allotted for the
current year and whether there is likely to
be any change in the normal revenues of
the government.
Conference With Secretary Gape.
To this end it was decided to call the
Secretary of the Treasury into conference,
and at II o'clock the committee adjourned
until O'Clock, when Secretary Gage ap-
peared The afternoon session was de-
voted to listening to an expla nation by
Secretary Gage of the state Of the finances
and to hearing his views upon the propose Il
reductions.
1t was stated positively that nothing like
an agreement has yet been reached upon
which particular schedules are to be chang
3D. If any. That will be entirely a matter
tor future consideration.
Members of the committee expect to be
besiegel with opportunities from the yar;-
Gus interests involved for reduction of
taxes In their special lines, and it will be a
very difiicuit matter to strike balance
that Will relieve the pubi% the first con-
slderation, and be just to al concerned. AS
stated heretofore in The 81 IT, leading mem
bers of the committee have announced their
desire to reduce the taxes along lines which
would rring the greatest relief from an
Aoyance to the largest number of citizens
Brewers and Drugsists.
uous in their demands for relief. They
claim that the added burdens put upon beer
by the war tax should not be continued
beyond the time when the exigencies of
actual warfare required the imposition
They say they have always been heavily
taxed. and that by reason of the increased
tax put on during the Spanish war the
consumption of beer decreased last year to
the extent Of 1OOO,0OO barrels The brew
ers Will probably combine their influence
from all states and bring heavy pressure TO
bear upon the committed
The Retail Druggists Association has aIso
made vigorous representations to the COM
mlttee against continuing the tax on pat
ent medicines and proprietary articles
rms association claims to represent about
that the retailers have had to pay three
nIths OF the war tax. They contend that
II was lnpracticable to increase the price of
taxed articles to the consumer and there
lore 1t has fallen upon them
The various stock exchanges of the coun
tIy are also clamoring for relief from the
stamp taxes ana taxes on transactions in
STOCK peins enforced by the brokers and
room traders, who allege that the tax is
rulnous to them. 1t is claimed that the
taxes upon the stock exchange transac-
tons reach $5,0Oo090 a year and are not
equitably levied The stock exchange peo-
pie are expected to be on hand in force
when the bill is taken up
me insurance companies of the country,
lie and accident. making a desperate
eHort TO secure reduction of the stamp
taxes affecting their business They have
filed numerous briefs with the committee
setting forth the facts in their case and
pointing out the justice from their stand
point OF their demands for relief.
Cigar and Cheroot Makers.
The cigar and cheroot makers are also
strenuous applicants for relief. They claim
that during the year 1899, in addition to the
$16,OOO,OOO internal revenue tax which they
paid on their goods, the war tax amounted
to $2.6.~S21, and that they cannot stand the
additional burden. They further urge that
the greatest proportion of the tax falls
upon the small concerns and makers of
cheap goods, who are least able to afford it.
Merchants and shippers all over the coun-
try, and the Dig retailers in the city, who
90 large business by express, are insistent
upon relief from the tax on shipping re-
ceipts, bills of ladng, etc The express re-
celpt tax seems to be especially annoying
to the shippers and there are a hundred
complaints against this to one against the
telegraph tax.
The inheritance tax and the taxon CONNER
cial and negotiable paper and on property
transfers nave also occasioned complaint,
ana IN many cases special instances of
hardshlps nave been called to the attention
of the committee.
Then there are numerous other features
OF the war revenue act which are found OBJ
1ecuonabie by some one or some particular
interest and all will have to be, considered
by the committee. It is evident. therefore,
that the work ahead of the c0mmittee Is
no easy task, and that whatever it does
it will fail to please some one. unless all
the taxes are removed, which Is not prob
able