Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-08
HOUSE TAKES UP
THE INCOME TAX
Not a Dent Made in the Tariff Re-
vision Bill as Approved
by Committee.
LIFE INSURANCE FIGHT ON
Amendments Prepared to Elm.
mate Slightest Variation from
Present Corporation
Tax Law.
LIFE INSURANCE FIGHT ON

democratic majority in the House to.d,y
swept through the free list, boyled ov,r
all opposition TO free wool. free mani.
and other necessities, and passed on IA
consideration OF the hundred million. dol.
lar income tax feature of the Underwood
| tarf bill Not dent WIS .Aanc IN tho
OIL! IA approved by the WAYS and means
committee majority. and when tn. nigh,
session began It was expected that tbs
/ measure rs a whole would be possed I'M
amended by the House BY tomorrow
All day there MAS spsrrins across tina
aisle dividing the democrats and .epublj.
cans. Many amendments we're offered nv
i"publicans IN forioru crort r. put MANY
iree-l!steh articles back on tho ,utiohle
llSt. but all we're voted down with n reg.
MARTY that brought smiles from the min.
o7lty rinally whom the last of these pro.
posed changes had been rejected Reprcscn.
| tatlve Payne Of New York. head of the
ways and means committee under the re-
publican regime In the House. partcipa cd
a lively rules fight by offering brand
new amendment to create q tariff commits
sion.
instantly all tho parliamentary sharps
on both sides were astr. Speaker Clark
sat next TO Democratic Leader Underwood
Al the front of the Speakers rostrum
where Mr.. Underwood has been conduct
! Ing consideration Of the bill. Representa-.
tive Fitzgerald of New York rushed in
from the appropriations committee armed
with precedents and followed by Represon.
tatives Sherley Of Kentucky and Hardwick
Of Georgia. who Joined in the majority
protest against admitting the amendment
ON the republican side. Leader Mann
Representative Gardner of Massachusetts
Representative Payne OF New York and
others conferred and addressed the House
EXCITEMENT QUICKLY OVER.
1t was all over quickly Representative
Garret OF Tennessee, in the chair. sustain.
ing point of order made by Mr. Under
wood that the tariff commission amendment
was not germane to the bill.
( When Representative Mann appcaled
from the decision. the House sustained the
chair. 164 to 81
( Representative Hull Of Tennessee chief
craftsman Of the income tax feature OF
the tarif bill, prepared tonight to resist
campaign by the minority TO amend the
details Of the proposed law. lie expected
n hard fight on behalf " tho mutual life I'm.
surance companies which would be taxed
one per cent. under the measure The pro
! visions affecting insurance companies
were taken almost verbatim from the cor
poration lax law already in effect, bur. to
/ avoid any possible question. committee
amendments were prepared tonight to
eliminate even the slightest variation from
the existing law.
The reading OF the income tax provision
for committee amendments was completed
in short order. IerfeCting amendments
offered by the ways and means committee
ana adopted. included y provision exempt.
ing returned inves ments In insurance and
clause changing the terms regarding mu.
tual fire insurance companies 40 as TO al
/ low them TO deduct from their gross in.
comes the amount required under the State
. laws to be placed in their reserve funds
Another amendment changed the language
OF the provision imposing a rnx of one per
cent. on the net profits Of insurance com
panies, so as to make the bill conform lit
orally to the present corporation tax law
GRErS TO CONSIDER IT.
Representative Mann for Resident Com
missioner QGczon Of the Philippines "
fered an amendment to tax the Chinese
Japanes. and other residents OF the Phil
irpines IS vel! as the Ffllp.nos and Amer
leans in the !slands The committee
agreed 70 take this under consideration
The Philippine commissioner unsuccessful.
is sought 10 relieve the Filpinos of any
income tax on the ground that they could
not vote On this legislation Representa-
'ive Underwood explained thar the inclu-
sion OF the Philippines In the Income tax
was to reach the wealthy Of the Philippine
Islands and that the bill lightened the bur
dens OF the small farmer Of the Philippines
by repeating the export tai on Philippine
products.
Republicans attempted by nuuerous
amendments 10 alter the income tax rates
but without avail The 11-osress'ves also
offered several amcndmcnts Progressive
Leader Murdoch proposed six per cent
TAX on ali incomes over 500, 600 and Rep
resentative Kelley of Pennsylvania urged
en- eight per cent. tax OIL such incomes
Representative Kelley announced hi, inten.
ton Of voting for the entire democratic
bill. declaring he believed IL was a step
10 the right direction. Other progressives
endorsed the income .ak feature.
Representative Gillctt OF ssacnusett
offered an amendment providing for a tai
OF one per cent. on incomes between 81, 600
and $4,000 year.
PRESIDENTS 'Alti,N EXEMPT
The provisions Of the income tax section
exempting the salaries 81 the President of
the United States and the Justices Of the
supreme Court were attacked by the re-
publicans but attempts to remove the ex.
emptions were defeated. An amendment
by Republican Leader Mann proposing 10
make the salary Of the President subject
to the tax was rejected by a vote OF - 10
So
The debate dragged along slowly and
when the House adjourned al eleven
O'Clock tonight only the first FIVE nara
graphs OF the income tax section OF the bill
had been finally passed