Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-15
DISCUSSING TAX REDUCTION.
The House Adjourned Without Com
Dletfng the Bill.

pleting the Bill.
In the House yesterday afternoon an
amendment to the war tax reduction bill
to abolish small beer kegs, skies and
eighths, was defeated
Mr.. Newlands offered an amendment pro-
viding that every person, corporation or
firm engaged in manufacture whose gross
receipts exceed 100000 shall pay an excise
tax of one-tenth of one per cent on such
receipts above 100000, and that such per-
sons, corporations, etc, shall make true
and accurate returns annually to the COM
missioner of internal revenue as in the
case of refiners of sugar and petroleum.
The purpose of the tax. Mr.. Newlands
said, was to make the great trusts and
combinations pay portion of the war
revenue Further. it would compel them to
furnish the statistical information upon
which Congress could act in the future.
Mr.. Payne, replying to Mr.. Newands,
said the gentleman from Nevada had
signed report in favor of reducing taxa
ton $70,0o0000, and now his first PROPOSE
ton was to increase taxation. The amend
ment was lost, 30 to 119.
Mr.. Kitchen IN. c. offered an amend
ment to reduce the tax on manufactured
tobacco and snuff from IL to cents per
pound the tax before the war revenue act
went into effect.
Mr.. Payne opposed the amendment, which
he said would cost the government SIT 600
600 in revenue. The amendment was lost,
70 to JOG.
Mr.. H C. Smith (Mich) offered substi-
tute for the section requiring railroads
and steamboat companies to affix a 1-cent
stamp to every receipt. bill of lading. etc,
| using the language of the section in the
present law relative to telephone messages
and including in the substitute provision
for tax of l cent upon express receipts
and telegraph messages. Mr.. Smith charged
that the express and telegraph companies
had been unpatriotic in refusing to bear
their share of the war taxes by compelling
their customers to pay the tax. He made
a direct reference to a senator of the
United States who is connected with one of
the express companies and declared that
when the law was passed that senator had
advised the company not to pay the tax.
Mr.. Payne replied that the express COM
panies had found that they could not pay
the enormous tax and live. 1t was differ
ent, he said with railroads which shipped
in large quantities. The ways and means
committee had carefully considered the
subject and had decided to abolish the tax
on express receipts and telegraph messages.
He expressed regret that Mr.. Smith had
seen fit to make a personal attack upon
a senator Of the United States.
Mr.. Swanson Va.) supported the amend
ment He also referred to a particular
express company which he thought should
be compelled to pay the tax II the tax was
to be retained on railroad bills Of lading.
Mr. Moody (Mass) declared that If the
amendment prevailed about ITO small ex-
press companies operating In New England
would be driven out of business. The only
equitable tax on express companies, he
said, would be tax on gross receipts.
Mr.. Mccall (Mass) also opposed the
amendment. He explained in detail the
operation OF the local express companies
in Massachusetts, and the onerous effect Of
such an amendment.
Mr.. Newlands offered an amendment to
the amendment providing that the section
should not apply to express companies
whose gross receipts did not exceed $780,
600. This was lost, So to 1O6
Mr.. Smiths original amendment was then
agreed to, 1913 to 106.
Without completing the bill the House,
at 5:25 pm, adjourned.