New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-16
c,,,cus Again Refuses to Make
unv Material Changes in the
Bill as Reported.
INSURANCE MEN GET BUSY
wutual Companies Object to In
come Tax, but All Their
Arguments Fall on Deaf
Ears in Committee.
rFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

uasbineton. April l5.-Continuinc their
-, drawn out caucus on the tariff bill.
", House Democrats again to-day made
'n,aratively slow progress, although
w. seventh day of the caucus demon
rated the fuulity Of attempts TO alter
..ateriaUv the bin agreed 10 by the Ways
"a Means Committee Ii is now appar-
-, that the bill will 90 into the House
limos, without change. the free listing of
s,oe machinery being an exception.
Nv Underwood. following a short alb
,.ncs because of illness. returned to-day
and did his best 20 hurry along caucus
,.h,cb probably will drag through an
.,hsr week. Debate on the agricultural
scbedule was concluded. 20. x" was
..,sn N the liquor schedule and discus
sion OF the cotton schedule was started.
NJ Levy. of New York led a valiant
sgbt 10 put wheat on the free list. He
and other city members argued that
= four was to bo nOn-dutiable. wheat
should be also Members from the agri-
cultural states fought the amendment
ond the committee rate of 10 cents
bushe was sustained by an oyerwheim-
inc viva voce vote.
REPRESENTATIVES Clark. of Florida. and
Church Of California. loudly protested
against the committees slashinS reduc-
rons on citrus fruits They offered
amendments To- near protective rates,
slightly lower than those Of the Payne
blu. Desiite the struggle staged ay Dem
ocrats from the citrus growing states. the
bill remained unchanged.
Coffee Substitutes Taxed.
REPRESENTATIVE Broussard vigorously
sssailed the duties on chicory. chocolate
and cocoa dandehon root. acorns and
other substitutes FOR coffee. moving TO
place them all on the free list as a boon
10 the breakfast table. lie called atten-
ton to the recent holding up by the gov
eminent of Brazilian coffee. and argued
that the people were entitled TO coffee
substitutes without any tariff Ills
amendment was voted down. adherents
~ the committee explaining that the reel
n-ocitv features Of the bill would AFFORD
means for negotiation with Brazil which
country had placed an export tax ON COZ
fee when the United States put it ON the
free list
When the cotton schedule was reached
Mr. Webb. of North Carolina. pleading
for Tar Heel cotton mills. demanded
higher duties for the first half dozen
items i'm the schedule. lie was .alded oS
Mr. Metz, Of New Ofk' oul a.
ments were promptly steam foileItu.
Protesting against the low rates carlitu
In The cotton schedule. MI Nebn lhdls-
nantly told his Democratic coleasu es
that they amounted almost 70 Tree liaU,.
md No added Free trade Is no more
doctrine than is protection.
The unhappy fate Of amendments OF
fe~ed ~ Tie cotton schedules Indicates
mat Democrats seeking htue pIo'eO-
lion on wool are engaged lh i"~in7
ight
Insurance Companies Object.
In support Of the belief that the tarin
bin viii not be modified materially Is me
attitude of the WAYS and Means Commit
tee regarding protests which nave pee"
registered by mutual insurance coinpd-
MES AGAINST the provisions Of the income
tax rider. The committee viii make no
change I'm the income tax. ana insoI d"ce
companies Of the mutual and parucipal-
ing kind will be forced TO pay
Numerous protests from companies OF
his character have reached the commit
tee and members Of the House Inc
mutual companies allege that they ha'e
10 net incomes. because they refund d"
iurplus profits 10 the poicyholders. IheF
contend that the dividends declared py
mutual and participating insurance con
Germs are not dividends in the commercial
,ense. but are refunds 70 polcyholders
NJ a part Of the overcharge collected
from policyholders as premiums.
A similar contention was made "s
mutual insurance companies when the
tax was instituted. and Com
CabeH held the claim 'unten-
able" That part Of the income tax re-
iatlng TO corporations is substantially the
Of the existing corporation tax
sw. and the WAYS and Means Commit
lee will stand pat. despite the practically
united protest Of the mutual insurance
Representations bearing on the proposed
tariff legislation from half dozen am
and ministers ia Washington