New-York tribune., 1909-03-14
COFFEE ON FREE LIST
INHERITANCE Tx TO BE
IN TARIFF BILL.
Fr0mers Still Undecided as to Special
T0res- General ReUenue In
crease Open Question.

Washington March 13.-As the tarnH Oil
stands tonight coffee remains on the free hSt
When the Republican members of the " "ays anu
Means Committee ceased their larbors tempo
rariIy on the new bill at o'clock TINS eVehiiis'
adjourning until Monday morning the Pio\f
sions relating to special taxation had not Oeeh
decided upon. The proposed tax on colee was
for q time accepted by the committee as tl7
best means for providing revenue by which 10
prevent the continuation of large deficit in the
Treasury The Payne bill will not be ready Tor
introduction on Monday, according TO a MEM
Der of the committee.
While an inheritance tax provision VIII uh-
doubtedly be included in the bill, the members
of the subcommittee have been unable to agree
regarding this, the proposition to impose
stamp tax on checks, bonds and stocks. similar
to the war revenue tax of 1898 The entire
matter of providing some means for increasing
the revenue of the government, aside from the
general duties on imported articles is still An
open question and is being thoroughly thrashed
out by the subcommittee.
The Treasury officials view with great dis
favor the proposition to levy a tax coffee
brought into the United States. II is pointed
out that several million bags Of high grade
Brazilian coffee are now held in this country and
In Europe as security for loans made to one of
the Brazilian states. and that. should duty be
readily shipped into the United States before the
new tariff bill will become operative. This vast
quantity OF coffee estimated to exceed ten mill
ion bags. is said to equal the entire expectation
of Brazilian coffee into the United States for a
year. Thus. it is said instead of being large
amount the income from the first years I'm
portation of coffee is likely to be very insig
nifcent sum.
In the brief which they submitted to the Ways
Tea Association declared that the proposed tax
on coffee or tea would fail to produce any
teriaI revenue for nearly two years to come. and
would increase the cost of these beverages from
81 80 to s25 4 year for each family. They said
that the present visible supply Of coffee in the
world amounted to about sixteen million bags
OF which four million bags were stored here or
were scattered in this country. According 20
the figures which they submitted. a duty of four
cents pound on coffee would mean an imme-
date profit of AT least IS 90 bag on every bag
in the United States. profit of about s21,-
100000 TO the owners and holders of this coffee.
without producing any revenue to the country.
As on the average about one billion pounds
Of coffee are imported annually the tariff fram-
ers figured that a duty of cents pound would
bring revenue 10 the government OF nearly
S3s, ,Ooo 900 annually. The importations which
would be free of duty from Porto Rico and Ha-
VaN which now amount u Lo4 y Hli4S-OI P'4i+19'
would probably increase with the protection az
forded By this nuty- The Philippines. which
now export practically coffee, it is contended.
would send considerable coffee to this country
II the suggested tax we're not placed on their
product.
II is understood that the bill will provide
heavy tax on automobiles. Motor cars are not
mentioned in the Dingley act but are dutiable
under Schedule = as manufactures of metal
The Payne bill viii provide a separate classlh-
cation for motor vehicles and their parts