Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-07-07


,iats Necessity of Tariff Revision for the
Sole Object OF Increasing Revenue to Meet
Deficits Claim Tha, a Bill NAY be Rushed
Through During the Next Heated Season. as
an Emergency Measure.
(trom our regular corrceponGcnt)
WA<HINGToN, u. C., June %.
Certain prominent stand-p atters who
have recently visited Washington have
spread the report that the brewers OF
the country Will hc called upon by the
next Congress to make good the con-
stantly growing deficit in the govern
ment's finances and to provide for such
/ increased expenses Of the federal insfi-
tuition A. are inevitable with each
years growth OF the country. 1t Is
declared that under no circumstances
Will the s,and-patters permit any
change in the existing tariff schedules
produce an increased revenue without
curtalling in some slight degree the
profits Of those manufacturers whom
the President has described ~ pro
tected hogs with their feet in the
trough" That something must be
done to increase the revenues Is, how
ever, obvious to even the most obtuse
observers OF the federal finances, wit
the sole exception Of Secretary Shaw,
and 1T is believed that this can be done
by materially increasing the tax on
beer.
Those who advocate an increased
tax on beer, rs practical substitute
for that revision which the President
has declared to be essential to "a
square deal to every man." believe
they can enlist the sympathy of the
temperance people of the country who,
will, they expect, welcome any in
crease of the taxation on drink, re-
gardless of the purpose which is back
of such increase. 1t is pointed out
that there are now sold, each year,
As 900, 900 barrels of beer and that an
increased tax of 81 per barrel would
net the government as many dollars.
The President will, it is believed, press
railroad rate legislation at the next
session of Congress in preference to all
other needed reforms and that will
afford the stand.patters an opportunity
to escape any determined onslaught
on their position. The opposition to
railroad rate legislation is certain to
be bitter and the details of the fight
will, it is hoped, crowd the columns Of
the press to the exclusion Of all other
issues, so that the necessity of tariff
revision will be temporarily lost sight
of. Then there will follow a short
ses ion of Congress at which, the Re-
publican leaders claim, il is impossible
to change the tariff, and so the pro
tected hogs will he insured at least
two years more Of undisturbed monop-
oily.
With this situation in Congress, it
is claimed that as the session draws
to close, it can be suddenly discovered
that no provision for remedying the
deficit or augmenting the revenues
has been adopted and it will be COM
paratively little trouble to rush
through bill increasing q tax on
beer, and so the imperative necessity of
decreasing the tariff rates will be evad-
ed. 1t is insisted that this beer tax
bill will, if necessary, be deferred un-
til the approach OF the hot season.
next Summer. The treasury has an
ample surplus. The expenses of the
Panama Canal are to be betrayed by
the sale OF $3.50, 100000 of 2 per cent.
bonds and no dangerous diminution
OF the treasury surplus will be ex-
perienced before the close Of the next
fiscal year. 1t is invariably the case
that with the first warm days OF
Spring Congress always yearns to get
away. Disciples of Isaac Walton
gather their friends in the cloak
rooms of Senate and House. and there
relate tales of trout and bass and
tarpon, which sets on fire the sporting
blood of most Of the distinguished
solons. Then there comes n really
hot spell and like horde of weary
school boys, the grave statesmen Of
the national Legislature become al
most desperate in their desire to begin
their Summer vacations. 1t is at such
times as these that much OF the most
pernicious legislation is permitted to
slip through unobserved and the mere
warning that objection will "pro-
woke debate and delay adjournment"
proves a potent argument with many
of the men most prone to fight i'm
proper measures earlier in the session.
At such time, according to the plans
Of the stand pat,ers, bill providing
for the increased beer tax will he intro.
duced and rushed through the House
and it is believed that it will not en-
counter severe opposition to the Sen
ate.
There is just one hope of those who
would compel the protected industries
10 sacrifice small percentage OF their
profits in the interests OF the great
mass of people whose incomes have
not increased a dollar week while
their expenses have even doubled
That hope rests in the Democrats oil
the Senate. Fortunately there is no
"gag -rule" in the Senate. ANY rev.
enue bill can be amended to change
the tariff schedules, although the
upper chamber cannot originate such
bill. Then must the Democrats
strike If they would actually protect
the interests Of the people. They can
press and debate amendment after
amendment providing for lower tariff
schedules and if they are faithful to
their duty they can compel compro-
mise which will afford at least some
measure OF relief from the exorbitant
prices now demanded for the very
necessities of life by the constituencies
trusts. Dem.
EDITOR Maievsky, of the Russian
Review, and leader of the Society OF
Friends of Russian FreedOmo in NOR.