The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-16
TO REDUCE SURPLUS
REPUBLICANS WILL NOT BE TOO
HASTY ABOUT 1T.
MAY CUT OFF WAR TAXES.
MANY ARE SEEKING RELIEF ON
THIS LINE.

senate Will Probably Ratify Canal
Treaty To-day, While House win
Resume Discussion of Philippine
Tarif-PracticaIIy All Other I'm
pOrtant Business VIII Go over
Until After the HoIidays-whisky y
and Tobacco Interests to Urge Re-
duction of War Taxes.
Washington, Dec. 15.-Chairman
Payne of the Ways and Means Com
mittee of the House says that no def
mite plans have been made thus far
for considering the questions of fur
ther reducing the war taxes. At the
same time there has been much in
siderable data has been gathered con-
cerEing the itep2s which can be best
reduced, and there seems to be a gem
eral purpose on the. part of. the mem
bers of the committee to push this i'm
portant question to the front soon af
ter the holidays. In speaking of the
matter to-day, Mr.. Payne said:
with surplus of about 100000, 900,
have no doubt the Ways and Means
Committee will frame bill reducing
the revenues, probably on the general
lines of the last war tax reduction
bill. But there is no particular hurry
in dealing with the subject, as there
are several contingencies which may
call for a large increase in govern
ment expenditures, and it will be well
. - ov,J " 11af a
penditures are to be before finally de-
termining on a, large reduction of the
revenue. When we make the reduction
we ought to make it as large as can
be made with safety. In my Judgment
the committee will take the matter up
soon after the holidays. Whether we
will have hearings or not will depend
upon the pleasure of the committee"
/ In the absence of action by the com
mittee, Mr.. Payne will not discuss the
| prospects of reduction on particular
| items Already, however, several in
| terests have applied for hearings.
| These include the representatives OF
| the tea interests, who desire to have
the ten-cent tax imposd by the war
| revenue act taken off that product. M
| formal application has been made by
| the representatives of the beer anj
| wine interests, but both are expected
to make strong efforts for reductions
| on their respective taxes Suggestion;
! also have reached members of the com
mittee that the war tax imposed or
| banking capital be taken off.
L Another proposition is for the doine
away With the withdrawal stamp taxes
| on imported merchandise, particularly
| on tobacco, as these Withdrawals are
| said to be very onerous to- importers
| The large tobacco interests have not
| yet made known what, If any, further
reduction they would seek on tobacco
| but the Independent producers of man.
ufactured tobacco and snuff are under
| stood to desire a reduction from the
| present rate to cents per pound. Bills
have been introduced proposing a re-
duction as low as two cents per pound
| There is no suggest ton thus far that
| further changes will be made on cigars
and cigarettes. Owing to the large
amount of surplus there is some senti-
ment among members in favor of wip-
| ing out the entire list of war revenue
| taxes at a single stroke, thus leaving
the revenue and custom laws upon the
basis that existed before the Spanish
| war