Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-08
IN THE SENATE.
War Tax Repeal Conference Report
Adopted-Now Goes to President.

Washington, April 7.-COnSiderable
time was consumed by the Senate, to-
day, in discussion of a conference re-
port on the bill to reduce war revenue
taxes AS passed by the Senate the
tax on transactions in so-called bucket
shops was retained. The conferees
struck out that provision, it being eX-
planned that the House would not con-
sent to its retention.
Barry of Arkansas, Bacon of Georgia
and Pettus of Alabama, insisted that
the Senate should demand the reten-
ton of the tax. Aldrich of Rhode
Island, Allison of Iowa, and Spooner OF
Wisconsin, while they We're in favor OF
the tax, explained that it could not be
retained without endangering the en-
tire measure. The conference report
finally was adopted, Sc to 20.
SimOns of North Carolina, explained
briefly why he should support the Chi
nese exclusion bill, although he frank
ly said he would do so with some re-
luctance. The exclusion bill was read
for committee amendments, the read
ing occupying considerable time.
Soon after the Senate convened a bill
providing for the promotion of anatomi-
cal science and for the prevention of the
dissertation of graves in the district of
Cuba was passed.
Aldrich Or. L. presented the conference
report on the bill to repeal the war rev.
enUe taxes.
Pettus tAla.) said he was opposed to
all transactions which We're gambling in
disguise. Down in the country. he said.
playing in bucket shops was the sort of
gambling in which church elders could
engage without sacrificing their church
connections. He was opposed to removal
of tax.
Aldrich explained that the. contention
of those who insisted upon the removal
of the bucket shop tax was that the eff
feet of the Senate provision would be to
remove the tax upon transactions in hi :
exchanges and to tax the transactions of
small brokers. This. it was maintained,
would be in the nature of discrimina-
ton. The Senate conferees have yielded
upon that point as they did not think
the bill ought to fail on account of the
difference as to the bucket shop tax.
In answer to an inquiry by Lodge, ALI
son sad the Senate would have to agree
to the report or perhaps lose the bill
Allison then explained just what the
measure meant as agreed to by the con-
ferees. He said that the provision of law
under discussion did not place tax upon
transaction on an exchange or board of
trade, hut only placed a tax upon what
are popularity known as bucket shops The
question of placing Il tax upon transac-
tions in exchanges or boards of trade
could not be dealt with in the present
conference report.
Allison explained that the House con-
| ferees maintained that the Senate tax
| on bucket shops was prohbitive and in
effect struck down a business that was a :
legitimate Were transactions on boards
of trade. Personally he was in favor of
the retention of the tax upon bucket
shops, but he was satisfied. in view Of thu
position of the House conferees that thu
tax could not be retained
Bacon maintained that the law applied
to both boards of trade and bucket shops
except as to the latter it applied to both
legal and illegal contracts. He thought
ii was clearly within the purVieW of the
conferees to deal with the levying of the
tax upon transactions both in bucket
shops and in regular exchanges.
Spooner said he was in favor of the re
tention of the tax on bucket shops, which
he called an almost insidious and destruc-
tive form of gambling. The tax was, in
his opinion. wholesome and well justified
but when he was informed by the Senate
COnferees that the House was frrevoca-
bly, opposed to the retention of the tax
ne was not willing to jeOpar1ize the bill
which largely reduced taxes, by insisting
on his view.
The conference report was agreed to-
IS to %.
Consideration of the Chinese exclusion
bill was then resumed Simmons On. c.
said he expected to vote for the bill bu,
was reluctant to do so, especially be
cause the cotton manufacturers of the
South generally were appealing agains-
its enactment. Simmons explained that
he did not agree with the cotton mana
facturers and. therefore. as people of the
Pacific coast and other sections were de
handing the passage of the BILL he would
vote for it.
The bill was read ut length and then
the Senate, at 30 adjourned.