The age-herald., 1900-12-11
MINORITY REPORTa
 ON WAR TAX BILL Democrats Want Revenue Tax Reduced S4O,OO0,OOO More THE SYSTEM IS CONDEMNED Report Argues That the People Are Taxed Upon What They Need ln-
 stead of What They Have.
 Monopoles Protected
THE SYSTEM IS CONDEMNED

Washington, December 1O-The report of the minority members of the ways and means committee on the bill reducing war revenue taxes about $40, 100000 is signed by the entire Democratic membership-Messrs Richardson of Tennessee, Swanson of Vir- ginia, Mcclellan of New York, Newlands of Nevada Cooper of Texas and Under wood of Alabama.
 The minority think the proposed reduction of revenue is too small and that the re- maining taxes are unnecessary and should be removed The minority take issue with Secretary Gages estimate of $26 GOO sur plus in 1902, and say that if Congress ob serves proper economy in expenditures the surplus ought to be $109,0 100000. The report continued: We are, therefore, clearly of the opinion that there can be safely much further reduction than is contemplated in the bill presented by the committee and that now is the time to give such relief. Instead of taking off the forty millions we would reduce taxation not less than $50,- 600.OOO
 We shall not, however, oppose the pass age of the bill, for it gives some relief, but will endeavor to properly amend it. If we
  We would leave the heavy burden of unjust taxation on the country. The serious ob- lection to the taxes levied by this bill, as they will be left under the law is that the burdens of taxation throughout the country are unjustly distributed. This being true, of necessity the revenues collected are in equitable.
 I've favor an alteration of the present tariff laws certainly to the extent that they have promoted monopoly It has been proved beyond question by evidence before the industrial commission appointed by Congress that many of the powerful trusts that have an adequate monopoly of their business and exercise their power deposit cally and injuriously to the people, largely owe their growth to the customs duties lm- posed in the Dingley tariff law which pro- hibits foreign competition.
 Competition Destroyed.
 "By destroying in many cases all foreign compatition this bill has made possible home combinations with all the evils or monopoly. We witness daily the gross ln- justice of these fnonopolles created and fos- tered by the government selling goods as they continually do, to foreign consumers out of the same factory, at a lower price than they sell the same goods to home con- sumers.
 We favor an alteration in our system of taxation which would collect more revenue from the accumulated WedIlH OL NHc NouA7 try and correspondingly less from the pro- ducing energies and enterprises
 I've also believe that justice and equality require that a person should be taxed rather on what he has than on what he needs, hence we favor a system by which a reasonable portion of the present taxes should be collected from incomes or from profits rather than almost the entire bur den of taxation should be placed on con- sumption
 We believe that a provision should be prepared which would accomplish the just ends brought in an income tax, and yet es- cape an adverse decision of the Supreme Court of the United States"
 The report says that a reduction of $70- 00O,0OO would permit the relief of the tobac- co and beer producing interests, which have suffered from the heavy war taxes, and would enable the abolition of many vexa- tious and annoying taxes that will be con- tinued under the proposed legislation.
 We contend" concludes the minority, 'the vice of our existing legislation is that almost all the burdens of the federal gov ernment are imposed upon consumption rather than upon production. For federal purposes the people are taxed for what they want, and not for what they have, and a false system of taxation has thus been inaugurated which has practically made a per capita distribution of the bur dens instead of a distribution in some de- gree proportionate to the wealth which is protected"