Washington sentinel., 1901-02-23

relief had been found actuall.
needed, and in proportion to tn
burden borne by the article.
AS it passed the Senate the bill
carried about $40. ooo, 900, OF which
beer was awarded $500, 900, o.
about one-third OF the whole
Here again was beer conceded tC
be entitled to substantial Teliei
and the figure namedi is AGAIN found
10 be almost exactly in proportion
to the share it contributed towards
the war levy one-third of the
whole.
With such unanimitY Of opinion
between the two Houses it would
hardly seem possible tor reliei to
be denied. Yet such a danger
exists. And it is not caused by
any fear that receipts will not JUS
tify the redueti MS made. The
surplus in the Treasury from War
Revenue taxes on Dec. 81, 1900,
was SISo, 900, 900. a sum large
enough to protect the Treasury for
three years. not to speak OF the
additions that will be made to that
surplus during the current six
months,
Nor is it caused by lear that ap-
preparations by this Congress will
preclude reduction. In the House
the other day, Chairman Cannon,
OF the Appropriations Committee,
said that the total OF appropriations
OF this session OF Congress was
S694 600, 900 in round numbers.
This showed an apparent increase
OF $50, ,ooo, 600 over last year. To
provide tor this increase and Tor
the reductions proposed bY the
Senate bill would require the sum
Of $1,000 900. AS he surplus for
last year was S7o, 600, 900, and that |
for the current Yearis estimated at
the same figure, it is plain that the
Senate was just fed in exceeding
the provisions Of the House bill |
and that the Treasury resources
will not be impaired by the pas
sage Of the Senate measure.
If the reduction granted to to-
bacco is the obstacle in the path, /
short work should be made OF that
provision. As The SENrEEL
pointed ous aeveral weeks ago,
when the emergency act Of 1893
was passed tobacco manufacturers
simpl" decreased the size OF the
package sold to consumers, by
authority OF Congress, and thus
saddled their share Of the War
Revenue bill upon the purchaser,
and made proht OF at least q cents
a pound by the transaction out OF
the necessities OF the Government. i
They have not contributed one
penny to the revenues. and why so
much solicitude should be shown
now to give them a gratuity of
5000, ,ooo-for it is nothing less
than a gratuitY-surpasses COM
prehension. No injustice will be
done by allowing this taxto stand,
unless it is TO the consumer, and
il lit is intended 10 benefit him, let
the tax stsnd anyhow, or cut II in
half, and make tobacco contribute
something to the Governments
expense of the past
three years, and even It up to the
consumer by ordering a return to
the original size packsge-two
ounces.
The SENTINEL has heretofore
said that this matter was suscept-
ible Of easy settlement-alwsys
supposing the presence OF a desire
to settle. The trouble arose from
the Incorporation by he Senate Of
items In revenue bill-notably
those relating to the tobacco and
bank check taxa privilege re-
served to the House. The de-
crease OF the beer tax by 10 cents
a barrel vas within Senatorial
rights. as to which while there NAV
be differences on the score Of ad-
visibility, they should not be per-
mitted to interfere with &C ion on
the measure.
Eliminate, then, the disputed
points and discuss in calmness the
remaining sections. But by all
means act-act now. This is not
a time for display oi stubborn
ness nor is the subject one that
admits OF delay. It is a serious
matter for an industry that has
been SO badly crippled in its efforts
to support the Government and it
should be treated seriously.
Without the beer tax the Treasury
would have been driven to a bond
issue. To have escaped this expe-
dient was worth millions to the
Government in interest charges
saved.
Brewers are not asking remnn
Grafton for what thev did Thev