Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-21
WAR REVENUE REDUCTION
REPRESENTATIVES, STEELE THINKS
IT SHOULD BE OVER $2S,OoO,0OO.
He Talk. o. 9e-ship subsidy Bill,
the Sfse of the Army and
ReaRpOrtiOnment.

Representative ssej Of Indiana, mem
be-: Of the ways and means committee and
one Ct the repubftrssie leaders of the House,
said to Star rEporte5 this afternoon <aat
in his opinion SsseTl ought to DO taken
during the coming session OF Congress TO
decrease the amount Of revenue according
from the war revenue law by an amount
somewhere in excess Of S2o .00o.Oo0
"Of course, I do not pretend to speak for
the committee, and am, therefore. e2-
pressing my personal judgment only when
1 say that it would be a good thing for
Congress to take action toward materially
reducing the number and amount OF taxes
being paid by the people under the present
revenue act. said Mr.. Steele There are
many matters Of taxation under the law
which could be reduced equitaoly or entire
ly done away With. Many OF tfem are
soul ces Of annoyance to the people, ana as
they yield only comparatively small
amount of revenue. they can, In my opinion
be easily spared. I think the committee on
ways and means will take whatever action
in this respect that is deemed consistent
with the interests of both the treasury ana
the public. TX
Ship Subsidy Measure.
II do not think there is much doubt con-
corning the passage of the ship subsidy Dill
during this session. Phe intention Is to get
this measure before the House as early as
possible. 1t Is bin that ought certainly 10
pass. 1t will encourage the American ship
building industry and increase the number
of American ship owners Inc proposeu
subsidy to be expended by the government,
according to the provisions OF the Dill. Will
apply to mail steamers as well as vessels
engaged solely in carrying export trace.
We have already increased our coaStWlse
trade under existing laws, but we have not
materially increased our foreign shipping
industry. and this bill is being pushed 1or
the reason that 1t will afford encouragement
to our transoceantc commerce in American
ships, and at the same time guarantee yes.
sells to the government to be used IN case Oh
war, both as fighting ships and IN the trans-
port service. / want to say IN thls conhec-
ton that there is widespread demand FOR
the passage Of this bill. There Is just as
much interest being manifested In the prop
osition in the state of Indiana as there IS
in New York or any other state en- tne
coast The proposed bill. l understand,
contemplates the expenditure OF some
So 600, 600 year in subsidies but TINS Is a
small amount when compared with the al
vantages to be obtained II Is estlmateo
Furthermore, that during the first yer OF
the bills operation only about $4,oooooo Will
be expended.
Size of the Army.
Under present conditions l am not IN
clined to favor the establishment OF an
army of 100000 as Is being advocated IN
certain sections. Under the present law,
when the regular. army establishment Is
rounded in full we have from 63,OOo to TO-
OOo men. That - quite a large army. NOW
when the conditions become such that an
army Of that size Is not needed we could
easily reduce the number. That army couiu
be reduced under circumstances which
would warrant such action, by one-third or
two thirds its total strength until the es-
tablishment would be pruned down TO 10
600 men, the minimum. fixed by the law. l
am not In favor of permanent army OF
100, 900 Just now because l want to ascer-
tain accura tely before vote on the subject
Just how many men we are likely to need
when the army in Porto Rico has been re-
duced, when troops have been Withdrawn
from Cuba and when the war in the Philip
pines resolves itself into some tangible
form or Is concluded and this guerrilla war
fare there Is stopped. We can judge best
Just what the needs are In this direction
when matters in these three sections take a
more decided and determined shape.
A Reapportionment Bill.
II think that the bill providing for a
reapportionment of the representation Of
the House throughout the country. so as to
regulate the membership of that body in
accordance with the increase in population,
will be passed. Some states under this law
will no doubt suffer, while others will bene-
fit. In certain sections they have mag
nifcent way Of enumerating the popula ton,
but a very poor way of turning out to vote
on the days of elections. If the reappor-
tionment were based on the total number
Of votes cast a great many states would
suffer, and the representation from certain
notorious sections which have the gentle
habit of coercing certain citizens or not
allowing them to vote at all would find
themselves materially decreased In the
matter of representation. In the single dis
trict 1 represent in Congress there are
more votes cast in the elections than are
polled throughout one whole state in a GER
tain section. Yet this state Is allowed
number Of representatives on the floor of
the House. 1t can easily be seen, there
fore. just what effect an equitable solution
of this problem would have.
II do not think the subject of decreased
southern representation as a separate mat
ter Will be considered at this session. There
Is no time for the discussion Of that prob
lem during short session."