The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-07
Not a Dent Made i'm the Bill
As Approved By the
Committee
EXPECT PASSAGE
WITHOUT AMENDMENT
An Overwhelming Democratic Ma
iOrity Sweeps Through the Free
List and Other Necessities.
Amendments Offered

Washington, MAY G-The overwhelai-
ing democratic majority in the House
today swept through the free list. bowled
over all opposition to free wool. free
meats and other necessities and passed
on to consideration of the hundred mil
lion dollar income tax feature OF the Tn
derwood tariff bill Not dent was made
in the bill as approved by the ways and
means committee majority 1t was ex.
pected the measure would be passed nm
amended to the House by tomorrow
All day there was sparring across the
aisle dividing the democrats and the re-
publcans. Many amendments were Of
fered by republicans i'm a fororn effort
to put many free listed articles back on
the dutiable list. but all were voted down
with a regularity that brought smiles
from the minority. Finally, when the last
of these proposed changes had been re-
iected, Representative Payne preciptated
"A lively rules fight by Offering a brand
new amendment to create tariff com
mission.
Sharps Astir
Instantly all the parliamentary sharps
on both sides were astir. Speaker Clark
sat next to Democratic Leader Under
wood at the front of the speakers ros-
trum where Mr. Underwood has been
conducting consideration of the bill Rep
| resentative Fitzgerald of New York
rushed in from the appropriations COM
mittee, armed with precedents, and fol-
lowed by Representatives Sherley Of ken
lucky and Hardwick of Georgia. who
| joined in the majority protest against adj
mtting the amendment. On the republ-
can side Leader Mann. Representative
Gardner of Massachusetts,. Representa-
tive Payne of New York and others con-
| ferred and addressed the House.
II was over quickly, Representative
7 Garrett of Tennessee, in the chair sus-
tanning point of order made by Mr.
| Underwood that the tariff commission
amendment was not sernlane TO the bill.
When Representative .,zan nn appealed
from the decision the House sustained the
| chair. 16f to 81
To Resist Amendment
| Representative Hull of Tennessee. chief
craftsman of the income tax feature OF
the tariff bill. prepared tonight to resist
a campaign by the minority to amend
the details of the proposed law. lie ex-
pected hard fight. on behalf OF the Mu-
tual Fire Insurance companies, which
would be taxed ] per cent under the mea-
sure Provisions affecting insurance COM
panies were taken almost verbatim from
the corporation tax law already in effect,
| but to avoid any possible question. COM
! mttee amendments were prepared to-
| night to eliminate even the slightest
variation from the existing law.
Regular reading of income tax provi-
| sion for amendment was completed in
short order. Perfecting amendments Of
fered by the ways and means commit
tee and adopted, included a provision
eXempting returned investments on in
surance and a clause changing the terms
| regarding mutual fire insurance COM
| pantes 50 as to allow them to deduct
from their gross incomes the amount re
| CURED under the state laws to be placed
in their reserve funds. Another amend
ment changed the language of the pro-
vision imposing a tax of per cent on the
net profits of Insurance companies so as
to make the bill conform literally to the
| present corporation tax law.
An amendment by Republican Leader
| Mann proposing to make the salary of
! the President subject to the tax was
rejected by vote OF 70 to 81.
The debate dragged along slowly and
when the House adjourned at II O'Clock
! tonight only the first five paragraphs
in the income tax section had been finally
| passed