New-York tribune., 1902-01-31
REPEAL OF WAR TAXES.
HOW THE WAYS AND MEANS COM
MITTEE ATTEMPTS TO JUSTIFY
ITS COURSE
GBT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.l

GBT TELEGRAPH TRIBUSE.l
Washington. Jan. 30-The Ways and Means
Committee attempted to justify its course to-
day by authorizing Chairman Payne to issue a
statement setting forth the reasons that actu-
ated the committee. Accordingly Mr.. Payne has
made the following statement:
The Republican members of the Committee on
Ways and Means have been considering in
formally the question of revenue reduction
for some little time ana have been delaying ac-
tion TO receive "A report from the Commissioners
Of Internal Revenue showing the exact amount
derived from war taxes for the first six months
Of the fiscal year ending the 3lst of last month.
This report was only recently obtained ana
shows that the reduction under the act of March
600. confirming the estimate or the committee
when that bill was passed Of S4OO00oUO per
annum.
The report also showed that the collections
under this act amended. for this six months
period were ii trihe over S34, 100000, which
would indicate a revenue of S6SOOOeoO a year.
II will be remembered that the collections under
this law for the previous fiscal year were Sl01.-
656.O00. an increase of S2.Oo0oo0 over the pre-
Vious year. The annual increase. compared
with previous years. would make the revenue
for the present fiscal year about Sl09,W0,o0G
less the S400O0000 of reduction, or S69,o0,OoO,
leaving the net revenue from this act for the
present year about Sd9o000OO
me freasury now mas q an avsIis5ie @ Gdn Gash pal
likely that this will be increased materially
during the present fiscal year. the Treasury
is buying bonds at a rate that viii use up the
surplus TO accumulate between this and the end
of the fiscal year, June 30 next. The Secre-
tary of the Treasury's report estimated a sur
plus for this year of S16O.OOOOO0, and subse-
quent results to confirm this estimate.
The committee, therefore, thought IT was en-
tiTely safe to repeal the remainder of
enue taxes, amounting to S6S,O00,OQ0, and the
tax tea of 100000 in the aggregate ST.
100000. at this time This Will still leave a sur
plus estimated upon this years receipts and
expense. of S22,000.o00 or S23O0000o for the
year, while will start upon the next fiscal
year with S174000Oo0 available cash in the
Treasury.
peal of the tax on tea take effect on January |
next in order to enable those, especially retail
and small dealers. who have small stocks of
the duty paid goods on hand, 10 dispose of them
before the repeal takes effect We can provide
a rebate the tobacco tax and guard against
any fraud upon the revenue for the reason that
the Internal Revenue Department has this trade
under close surveillance and can and will take
an account of the stock in the dealers hands.
on July next. But this will be impossible as
and of which the government has account
save as they are imported in large quantities
by the importers. Continuing this tea tax to
January / will give six months revenue In
the next fiscal year upon tea and will make the
ultimate reduction for the next year consider
ably less than S11.000.000. The bin will be pre-
sented 70 the House as soon as it can be pre-
Il II viii be seen that we have kept far ahead Of
our promises in repeating these taxes We
promised when the bill was passed that the
taxes should be repealed as soon as the war and
the expenses growing out of the war should
cease While portion Of the expense is going
the country and the great increase of revenue
from other sources we are able to wipe out the
entire war taxes.
THE INTERESTS BENEFITED.
1t will be observed by perusal of the fore
going that Chairman Payne. apparently with
great care, refrained from itemzing the ar
tlcles on which the tax has been removed
by the Ways and Means Committee. An an
alysis of the bill shows that the interests it
benefits are as follows:
Bankers. brokers' grain dealers ma
custom house brokers, theatres, museums cir
cuses. etc; billiard rooms and bowling alleys
playing cards and dealers in and manufacturers
90 90 .9bacS2- Ihe tax on beer is reduced from
n be 10 81. The repeal under Schedule of the
law will include the tax bonds debentures
etc; certificates on stocks. sales agreements,
stock transactions inland and foreign bills of
exchange, bills of lading, indemnifying bonds,
FertncateS or proftS, brokers' contracts, GUS
tom house entries warehouse entries and steam
boat passenger tickets. The repeal under Sched-
ule B VIII include the tax of one cent per pint
bottle of wine and two cents on bottles over q
pint Other reductions include the excise taxes
on persons and firms engaged in refining sugar
and petroleum. the special tax on banks and
bankers. stamp tax on parlor and sleeping car
: berths, etc
This list gives very fair idea of the moral
principles that guided Chairman Payne and his
associates when they contriving a scheme
10 prevent concessions suffering Cuba
Circuses. theatres. billiard rooms. pawnbrokers
bowling alleys and brewers must be looked after
with cautious care, and Cuba must be left to
starVe ana involve this nation in war of con-
quest-for that is what would follow should
events compel the United States Government 10
send an army 10 Cuba Ia suppress insurrection
ana maintain order. In other words. il is plain
that the Ways and Means Committee cared
nothing for national morality and duty when its
powerful minds realized that the manufacturers
OF peer and playing cards demanded a reduc-
uon IN the present taxes imposed upon these
interests.
WANT THE ISLE OF PINES ANNEXED
Washington. Jan. 30.-T.- j. keenan, of Pittsburg
IS chairman of meeting of Americans and others
held on the Isle Pines will present IN PresIder+
roosevelt tomorrow the following resolution urg-
ihg that steps be taken under~fhe treaty Of peace
WIN spain by which the Isle OF Pines was ceded
10 the United States:
I.esotNec Ihat We. the undersigned nroDa-+,
ssrtSr alia RESIDENTS on the Isle of Pines renrs
t,e 81 IGI own persons or authorized agents
.H MIieIsnip OF more than one-hslf Of the 90. -
, Isle OF tines, respectfully petition that th e., o1
~, acqulsitlon or the island by the Initad ST.
as speedily possible; and We