The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-20
AGAINST oNzRoUs < TAXES
Suggesss Rsduetion of Expenditures
 by Congress.
r.esns rsx Net RsfsrrsA te, His stats- neat Dseleri.s that A.sis Rev- e.-s M.y ss Dsriv.1s sars~
 other Sources.


 Commfttee on Finande, assured the 6en- ate in most positive ,terms that the bill reported from his committee would produce ample revenue for the 0ev-
 He suggested that If. by any ,possi- btiity. these estimstes should prove to be incorrect. the duty of Congress would be to reduce expenditures ana make them conform to actual revenae conditions ana not to impose new and onerous taxes sa.l< -.-5
 He did not refer specincaily to any proposftions,to impose an income tax, his statement declaring that ample sourccs was accepted as direct oppe- sitton to all such propositions.
 The net decrease from customs, over the existing law, according to . state- ment furnished each Senator. waa eB- timated at tli.sse,7ss for the Payne bill az passed by the Hcuss and s. ss4.42e under the bill as reported from the Senate Committee.
 MT. Aldrich said In part:
 gThe practical question to which ask your attention today ia ~wiil the bill as reported from the Committee on Finance produce sufflcient revenue when taken in connection with the fn- ternai revenue taxes and other sxist- ing sources of revenue to meet the ex- penses of the Government without the imposition of additional taxesr I an- swer unhesftAtingiy after thorougf, and careful investieatfon of the facts and the conditions likely to surround the problem. that 1t will"
 Mir. AldrEch submitted statements showing the receipts. diBbursements. surplnses and deficits. actual and es- timated. of the Treasury for the fiscal years 1900 to 1911, inclusive. His es- timates for the fiscal years 1908 to 1911. Inclusive. were as follows:
 Receipts, ss0s,os7.2so: disburse- nlents: ss7S.boe.eso; surplus. ta)ysa,-
 iisisss-Rsesspts ssss, COG. 900: aissurss- ments. s7eo,ooe. 900; surplus. taltiE-. oQO. GOO. &9, fStt M sfs'l. fF
 isiI-Rsceipss, ssss ,eeo.ooo; dissurss. Faszis }sss.9se' 2 cog ssFpiss esQ esp esipts and dfsbnsss stiefsk ks Tor the pafl- anna Canal have been elinifnated for obvious reasehs,F 7 said Mfr Aldrfehs vks is the policy of. Con9resa which think has universal, approval that payments for the cansi snd its ccnstruetion should not be made for current revs- nues. but met by the sale of bonds
 'The figures I aubmit Include ali re- ceipts and disbursements except those of the Postoffice Department and the Panama Canal. but the postal deacfen- eies are included in aii cases in the dis bursements, s5fsS5, R. C etf s
 ~The statement consists of the &C., ~tual official figures of receipts and dis- bursements for the year 1900 Co 1908. tnclusive. and shows that ip these years tht act of 1887 (exisflng 1aw) produced . surplus of sa1s.eBe.7si. an average yearly surplus of s47.62ssl les. The statement commences ytih the year 1900. The Spanish war followed the enactment of the act of 1897 and tht revenue and expenses of tfie Gov ernment did not reach normal condi. tions until the year 1900 ]"
 MT. Aidrich explained that he ar rived at his estimates from data se- cured in consolidation with Treasury experts
 "Taking the present fseal year for examination first, we, have the actual figures for nine and one-half months which ara: s1
 "Rsceipts. slss.ol2.s7s: disburse- .ments, ss3s.sss,siS. showing deficit of sss.s4s.st2." he continue, T have taken the disbursements of sE3S.sse.S1S for nine and one-haif months and es- timated those for the succeeding two and one-half months on the same basis reaching the result of teT4.5os.eso.
 The customs receipts for the re- naining two and one-half months of the Yt4L f1oOSs Mltk VIONA0ty7 UG CQlk0GLs cd under the terms of the existing law.
 "In making the estimates of receipts of the year 1909, the actual receipts and disbursements. for the first nine and one-haif months being available. the figures for the reniaining two and one-half months are based on these as- certained results and indicate receipts for the year Of 3e06.047, ,230. The. .flg- ures which must be very nearly accur- ate, show an estimated deicif at the end of the year of ss9.4s2,l50.
 For the year 1910 the appropria- tions have already been made and the amount which will be expended can be foretold with approximate accuracy.
 Tn making the estimates for these expenditures. I have taken the gross appropriations for the year. ei, ,04t.0oO.- 900. and deducted the appropriations for the Postohice Department. s2ss.ooo.- 900: the sinking fund. seo.o00, GOO: the national bank fund sso.oo0,00o. and the Panania Canal expenses. 937.00o.- 900, and have added the official esti- mate for the postal deAciency for the year, 20.0oo. 900. showing q probable total of expenditures. of s700.0 .ooo..
 "If the pending bill should become a law before the 3oth of June next, tnS cu1tOulb EUVGA001 sOk S4etE0 fiscal year of 1910 would be, collected under It's provisions. and the prob able results constitute the crucial point in our investigations.
 "For the purpose of aacertaining the relative revenue producing qualities of the Senate bill and the act of 1897. the Committee on Finance has had prepared statement which Is laid before the Senate this morning. It applies the rates of the Senate bill to the importations of 1so7; in other words, it shows the revenue that would have been derived upon the irn- portations made in 1907 if the Senate bili had been in force during that. year.
 The Year 1907. t.r-
 we have selected the year 1907 for the comparison. as this was the last year on which the finances and busi- ness of the country were in normal condition.
 ''rhe statement shows that if the Senate bill had been in force in 1901. the customs revenues produced by it would have been ss,oeo.oo0 grenter