Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-04
HOW 70 REDUCE TARIFF AND
RAIsEeNEcEssARY REVENUES
A PROBLEM.
MUST REACH A SOLUTION
OR FAIL IN PROMISES
Congress Will Find Il impossible to
Reduce Total Of Tariff Rsvsnuss-
Income Tax Law Will Aid Some But
Not MISREPRESENTATION Grow
With Government.
IBy Special Correspondence.l

Washington, Feb. 4.-One Of the
hardest problem which confront the
democratic leaders in congress, and es-
peciaIly the ways and means commit
tee OF. the house, is how to meet the
growing revenue demanded by the gov
eminent.
1t Is becoming clear that the appro-
priations made by this session of con-
gress will be enormous. They will run
close to the *l,10o.0o0,0O0 mark. The
estimates for the next fiscal year are
IN excess Of that sum. That the ap-
preparations will be greater than at
any previous time in the country's his
tory is probable.
Various reasons exist for this. One
is that the democrats last year, with
an election coming on, sought to dam
up the appropriations. Another reason
is that the government is growing and
its expenditures can not be held down.
The passage this session of both a
public building bill and a rivers and
harbors bill tends to run up tho ag-
gregate greatly.
Hard Nut to Crack.
The fact of enormous appropriations
is apparent and is admitted by every
body to be fact. But the hard nut to
crack is where to get the revenue to
meet the appropria tons.
1t is over this knotty problem that
Leader Oscar Underwood and his COM
peers on the ways and means COM
mittee are scratching their heads. They
will probably lose considerable sleep
over it. before thew get thru
One Of the most interesting phases
Of this problem deals with the customs
revenue. The democrats are unus
to meet the high-cost- of-living prob
lem. If they do not do that, their lease
of political life will be short.
They must reduce the duties and at
the same time they want to raise as
much, II not more revenue, from Gus
toms than the republican regime has
done. They would like to be able 10
raise more revenue and at the same
time relieve the public from the effects
Of the tariff on the necessities of life.
They must put certain Of the neces-
stiles of life on the free list II they car.
ry out their promises.
Can't Reduce Tariff Total.
Under republican rule. in recent
years. the tariff has raised about a
third OF billion dollars year. The
growing appropriations make 1t i'm
perative the democrats shall not let the
revenue from this source fall below
that figure. In fact, II they keep up
with the appropriations they will prob
ably have to increase the customs
revenue. 1t will not be easy to prove
to the public that it Is relieved from
the tariff when the government gets
more money out OF the tariff than 1t
did before but the democratic leaders
take the ground. Of course. that many
Of the present rates are prohibitive Of
revenue and that lower rates will
actually mean more revenue. Still.
there promises to be some embarrass-
policy does result in more revenue but
the ultimate consumer does not per-
ceive just where he is relieved.
Income Tax Will Help Some.
The income tax will have to be put
into force. This is practically impera-
tive. That is. the appropriations are
growing so that some additional source
Of revenue must be found and congress
will be compelled to impose an income
tax now that the amendment is ratified.
The income tax, however, will not
raise over 100000 as it is generally
conceived Of about the capitol. This
will help the men responsible for pro-
duction Of revenue out considerably.
but the rate government appropria-
lions are growing makes 1t clear that
such a drop in the bucket will not long
avail to meet the demands for more
money which Uncle Sam Is raising