Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-26
Three of Them in Session at the
. Capitol Today.
WAR TAX REDUCTION PROGRESS
Gossip Over the Ship Subsidy
Bill Prospects.
n E w A r M Y B L L

wing of the Capitol. Two more committees
will take up their work during the week,
| and when the House meets next Monday at
| u o'clock noon considerable preliminary
| work of Importance will be well under way.
The ways and means committee, in full
| membership, will meet next Saturday and
possibly the bill for the reduction Of the
war revenue may be ready to report to
| the House by Monday.
The committee on rivers and harbors was
i the first to assemble, with the following
| members present. Chairman Burton, Mr..
Dovener of West Virginia, Mr.. Bishop Of
| Michigan. Mr.. Acheson Of Pennsylvania,
Mr. Morris Of Minnesota, Mr.. Alexander Of
| New York and Mr.. Davidson Of Wisconsin.
| There was informal discussion Of policies
| concerning the river and harbor appropria-
tions Of the session and the general out
| lines of the work discussed. The commit
tee is not yet in possession of the frame
work of the bill, as the War Department
| is still engaged upon bringing up the esti-
mates 1t is probable that the skeleton bill
will be ready by Wednesday. The ques-
tion of hearings has not yet been deter
mined, and it is thought the committee Will
be averse to extensive hearings, owing to
| the limited time available for consideration
Of the bill. 1t is likely that the members
Of the committee and their colleagues In
the House will be called upon to supply
any information which is lacking rather
than that time should be consumed by
granting hearings to delegations.
The War Tax Reduction.
The subcommittee Of the ways and means
committee continued work today upon the
bill for the reduction of the war taxes.
There is a disposition, it Is said, to con-
slider favorably the removal of the tax OF 6O
cents per thousand cigars, imposed in
| addition to the internal revenue tax. Tho
committee is also considering the removal
of the tax on steamship tickets, bills Of
lading, foreign bills of exchange ana on
conveyances and mortgages. The commit
tee has been asked to give relief to the IN
surance companies, who complain of oner-
Gus taxes.
Committee on Appropriations.
The subcommittee of the House commit
tee on appropriations having charge of the
legislative, judicial and executive appro-
priation bill met at noon, with Mr.. Bing-
ham of Pennsylvania, Mr.. Hemenway Of
Indiana, Mr.. Livingston Of Georgia and Mr..
Taylor of Alabama present. The commit
tee devoted the afternoon to general sur
vey of the estimates and will probably com
mence tomorrow the hearings to officials Of
the depa rtments. The appropriation bill Of
the last session carried S24, ,257 .O1253. 1t Is
probable that the pending bill will provide
more, as there are increased estimates from
nearly every department for clerical force
The New Army Bill.
The House committee on military affairs
will meet tomorrow and begin work upon
the army reorganization bill. The commit
tee will not take up the military appropria-
ton bill until later in the session. when q
better idea is obtainable of the needs Of the
army for the coming fiscal year. The COM
mittee on naval affairs will probably meet
later in the week.
The committee on census and the COM
mittee on insular affairs, both Of whose
charmen are in the city, will not meet un-
til after the convenng Of Congress. The
District Of Columbia committee will proba-
bly, meet the Wednesday following conven-
ing. Mr.. Jenkins of Wisconsin and Mr.
White of North Carolina are the only
members Of the committee now in the city.
The Ship Subsidy Bill.
AS prominent republicans come to town
there is renewed interest in the subject Of
the probable fate of the ship subsidy bill.
The announcement Of Mr.. Burton Of Ohio,
the chairman Of the river and harbor COM
mittee, and therefore closely in touch with
shipping interests all over the country, that
he could not support the bill In its present
shape. raises the question OF the bills pass
age.
Mr.. Hull Of Iowa, chairman of military
affairs, and one of the prominent republi-
cans Of the House, as well as leader in
the councils Of his party, stated to a Star
reporter today that he Is not certain wheth-
er he will vote for the bill or not He said
the party was not committed to the par
ticular bill under consideration, although it
was to protect the American merchant
| marine Mr.. Hull was very doubtful wheth-
er he could give his support to the pending
bill.
Mr.. Hemenway of Indiana, a member of
the appropriations committee, and also a
prominent republican, said that If he had to
vote on the bill today he would vote against
I rfI, {Inro ttDy, <,P thA ,,,1S
change In the terms Of the bill might
alter his views. but at this time he could
| not be numbered among the supporters of
the bill. 1t Is understood that Mr.. Crum-
packer OF Indiana, another influential re-
| publican. is opposed to the bill in its pres
ent form.
On the other hand, Mr.. Acheson of Penn
sylvania and Mr.. Morris of Minnesota. both
dorsement Of the bill. Mr. Acheson said
that his constituents were for the meas
| ure. There was an opportunity, in the ex-
pansion OF the American merchant marine,
to utilize the wonderful development Of the
coal Industry now going on in his region
Of the country. and 1t would also help the
| iron and lumber trade.
One Of the happiest members of the House
| is Mr.. Morris of Minnesota. His plurality
| In the last election was 1000 against 100
| In the previous election, and this despite
the fact that an unusually strong fight was
made against him. Another pleased rep
1
| ocrats started out after his scalp and made
the fight Of their lives in that district
against him. but Mr.. Hemenway came off
victorious and ran ninety-four votes ahead
| OF the presidential ticket.
May Improve the Rotunda.
Arriving senators and representatives are
delighted with the progress of the improve
| ments to the old library quarters and over
| the prospect of additional committee rooms,
| They are loud in their praise of Assistant
Architect Woods and marvel that the work
| could be done so thoroughly in such short
space of time. There is a lively scramble
| for the rooms. and the committees on rules
| Of the two bodies will undoubtedly have an
| interesting time settling the disputed claims
| Several 'squatter'' claims have already been
staked out, and occasionally one of them is
| Jumped"
| There Is a strong sentiment in favor of
| improving the rotunda of the Capitol One
| suggestion is to line the walls with Sienna
| marble. similar to that used in the Library
| of Congress. as 1t is said this will blend
better with the colors Of the frieze and
dome than anything else. The contemplat-
ed improvements would include mosaic