The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-03-07
ON FREE LIST
BILL ELIMINATING $53,ooo,ooo IN
CUSTOMS REVENUE RATI.
FLED BY DEMOCRATS.
ALTER C~oRPoRATIONTAx
To Tax Those Whose Income Reaches
$1,000 a Year.-Would Mean Year
Iy Revenue of $%5o,ooo,ooo
or Over. b

Washington, D.. G.. - A bill TO put
sugar on the free list, eliminating
$50, 000, 900 in all customs revenue, and
another to extend the present corpora
ton "a to include individuals and
co-partnerships having an income Of
$1,000 a a or over, were ratified
by the Democratic caucus of the
house.
The excise tax, so-called by the
ways and means committee, is in ef-
feet an income tax. The bill is so
drawn that it is expected to comply
with the supreme courts decision
against the constitutionality of an in
come tax. It's effect would be to tax
every person who earns more than
$4,000 a year, ON the exces Of $1,000
at the rate of 1 per cent.
The estimate of Chairman Under
wood and members of the ways and
means committee is that the proposed
excise tax would bring in a revenue
of between $4,000, 900 and 100000, 900
a year Placing sugar on the free list,
the Democratic leaders estimate will
reduce the price of sugar to the con-
about a cent and a half a
pound.
The secret that members Of the
ways and means committee had been
so closely guarding for several days
was the provision to extend the cor
poration tax. In the caucus that bill
was not seriously opposed.
The free sugar bill, however, was
bitterly assailed by Representatives
from Louisiana, the sugar cane state,
and representatives from sugar beet
growing states who were absolved
from the bond of the caucus. No roll
call on the ratification Of the bills was
demanded. Majority Leader Under
wood announced that the bills would
be reported to the house in q few
days.
1--WE simply took the corporation
tax law and rewrote it to include indi-
viduals and co-partnerships," Mr.. I'm
derwood said. The bill, to illustrate,
simply means that I, whose business
is that of a member Of congress-, will
pay to the government l per cent Of
my salary income over $4,000. The
salary of a congressman is $500. I
would therefore pay an excise tax OF
S25 a year"
The president of the United StatesN
should the proposed bill become a law
would pay l per cent on $4,000 or
$500, his salary being Z 5000.
Railroads will be subjected to heavy
fines for i~ntimidating employees who
seek to join labor unions c. for
''blacklisting" discharged employees,
by the terms of a bill introduced by
Representative Stevens of Minnesota.
The bill would amend the railroad
rate law and provide penalties OF
from 500 to $1,000 for violations of
the new section. 1t was referred TO
the interstate and foreign commerce
committee.
The senate adopted a resolution call
ing on President Taft to submit to IL
all the correspondence with Colombia
dealing with the acquisition of the
Panama canal zone by the United
States.
The resolution was offered by Sen
ator Hitchcock of Nebraska who urged
it's adoption in a speech in which he
charged former President Roosevelt
with participation in a conspiracy to
foment the resolution by which Pana-
ma was lost to Colombia and the canal
zone became the property Of this coun-
try. There was no division on the
vote of adoption.