Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-02-14
WAR TAXES BOTHER.
THE G. O. p. BETWEEN THE FIRES
IN EFFEcTING REPEAL.

| TN 6TTGSIIN0 n6FeAI.
About All the Reductions the People are Inter.
ested in Already Made-Now the Trusts
Want Their Share Removed. and Urge as a
Reason the Ever Increasing Treasury Surplus
Representative Newlands Suggests as Sub.
stitute Small Tax on Receipts Above, ST.
100000 and Publicity Of Amount Of Bust
ness Transacted.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 1902.
Republican leaders in Congress are
apparently endeavoring to give undue
prominence to the questions of the
Philippine tariff and of reciprocal re-
lations with Cuba with view to pre-
venting the attention of the voters be-
ing directed to the measure reported
from the Ways and Means commit
tee, which provides for the abolition
of the taxes assessed under the Span
ish war revenue bill, and which will
be considered in the House of Repre-
sentatives this week. A portion OF
these taxes were abolished by the last
Congress, those removed being by far
the most important to the people.
What remain are chiefly such as the
vast majority of the people would be
glad to see undisturbed and which are
objected to only by the trusts, the
proprietors of theaters, circuses, ETC.,
the brewers and the spectators and
bucket-shop keepers.
The fact that the Standard Oil
Trust and the Sugar Trust are inter-
ested lie sufficient in itself to secure
favorable consideration by the Repub.
licans, but in the bill are incorporated
some features which will compel the
Democrats to vote for it because it is
the best they can secure. The Demo-
Gratis regard with grave apprehension
the rapidly increasing Treasury sur.
plus aud they feel bound to vote for
the only measure which the Repnbli-
can committees will report. which will
tend to reduce the surplus. How
ever, the Republicans will be afforded
an opportunity to demonstrate To the
country the sincerity in their alleged
desire to regulate the trusts. Mr..
Francis G. Newlands, Representative
from Nevada, will offer an amendment
to the bill, when it comes up for con-
sideration in the House, which was
rejected by party vote in the Ways
and Means committee, but which en-
bodies most excellent features and is
in entire accord with the recommen-
dations of President Roosevelt ia re-
gard to enforced publicity for the
methods and affairs Of these great cor
porations as voiced in his message.
Mr.. Newland's amendment pro.
vides that every industrial corporation
engaged in manufacturing. whose an
nual receipts exceed 100000 per
annum, shall pay to the government q
tax on all gross receipts in excess of
81 ,OOO 900, the tax TO be one.tenth of
one per cent. The amendment pro.
vides also that every such corporation
shall make, at the end OF each year,
complete statement of its capital and
surplus, receipts and expenses, profits,
and amounts and rates of wages paid
and further, that a Commissioner OF
Internal Revenue shall publish such
figures as soon as they can be tabu-
lated and prepared for publication.
1t will be seen that there is netting
in the amendment to which tbs Re-
publicans can legitimately object.
The tax is too small to prove hard.
ship to the corporations assessed. A
manufacturing concern doing \ bust
ness Of $1,000, 600 per annum would
have to pay tax OF only 81 900 which
could hardly be regarded as . hard
ship. On the other hand, the returns
to the country, Mr.. Newlands esti-
mates, would amount to between
81, 900, 600 and $4,000, 900, ample to
cover the expenses Of collecting the
tax and publishing the figures and
leave . margin besides. Of course
revenue is not the main object of the
bill but rather the figures which the
law would bring out. Mr.. Roosevelt
has taken the position that intelli.
gent action cannot be taken in regard
to the affairs OF the trusts, and prac-
tically in regard to the tariff, without
such knowledge as this measure would
develope. He has even gone So far as
10 advocate that such publicity be
ELECTED by Congressional action.
The Republican members OF Con.
gress will now demonstrate to what
extent they are willing to 20 To secute
just legislation and comprehensive in.
formation in regard to tho affairs of
the great corporations which tho DEM
ocrats maintain are . menace to the
welfare of the country and which
they believe are tending to eoncen.
trate the wealth OF the country in the
bands OF q few capitalists.
If the Republicans are sincere in
their representations they viii adopt
this amendment. Its results, in the
way OF information published, will
merely serve, provided their oonten.
tons are correct, to prove their COR
rectness, that the trusts are not injuri-
GUS to society and an injustice to the
large mass of consumers, and that the
time has not come when revision OF
the tariff is essential to the future
prosperity OF the country. OF course,
if the Republicans are mistaken in
their claims, the information will
prove it, and if they are as honest and
patriotic as they claim to be, they will
be only too glad to have it proven to
the m that their present course is
wrong. At all events the people of
the country will note the policy Of the
Republican party in this Congress
NTH intenaa inferaat and tia action in