The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-09-10
WILSON URGES TAX
Sl00,O00,0OO EXTRA
MESSAGE ADDRESSED TO CON.
GRESS PERSONALLY BY PRES
IDENT WILSON,.
1T is BAD BORROWING TIME
Play Safe in Event War Continues
Ready For Any Contingency
Keep Treasury Strong.

Dill, though we ala not deliberately
incur it," said President Wilson when
presenting before a joint session of
Congress his appeal for an emergency
internal revenue measure to raise
S1C0,000,000 the Governments prob
able loss in customs receipts because
OF the European war. Prompt action
was necessary, the President said, ito
keep the treasury strong" His only
suggestion as to the method for levy
ing the tax was that sources be
chosen that would begin to yield at
once and yield with certain and con-
slant flow"
The appeal met with quick action.
AS soon as the President had left
the House chamber amidst an out
burst of applause, Speaker Clark re-
ferred the message to the Ways and
Means Committee Democratic mem
bers of the committee met at the call
of the chairman, Representative I'm
derwood and began consideration OF
plans to raise the additional revenue.
Various members suggested sources
which they believed would be prop.
erly subjected to additional taxation
On the list suggested were:
Tax Gasoline.
Gasoline, tax of one or two cents
gallon; railroad and amusement
tickets a tax of five to ten per cent:
beer, an increase Of so cents barrel;
domestic wines, whiskey, an increase
| of Is cents a gallon; proprietary ar
ticles; tobacco and tobacco products;
| chewing gum; soft drinks; playing
| cards
The proposal to tax railroad tick
! cts was not received with enthusiasm
| by members Of the committee, al.
| though it was estimated that a five
per cent tax would raise $4,000,000
/ Chairman Underwood said the articles
suggested would be gone over and
list of taxable articles agreed on by
elimination. This list would be sub
mitted to the Treasury Departm ent
probably early next week. When the
bill is completed in committee, 1t
probably will be brought into the
House under a special rule and hur-
ried through.
President Wilson was given an en-
thusiastic greeting when he entered
the House chamber escorted by Sena-
tors Kern, Clarke and Gallinger, and
Representative Underwood, Fitzger-
aid and Mann The President said he
had come to discharge a duty he
wished he could avoid, but made it
plain that additional revenue was ne
cessary and that he performed his
duty without hesitation or apology.
Unforeseen condition occasioned by
the conflict in Europe, he said, had
created conditions which unless dealt
with promptly might involve conse
quences of the most embarrassing
and deplorable scrt.
To borrow money, the President
urged, was unwise, bond issue would
make an 'untimely and unjustifabee'
demand upon money marekts, leav
ing taxation as the only method left
to raise revenue. In this situation
he appealed ito the profoundly pa
triotic people of the country to take
up the burden.
The President said:
81 come to you today to discharge
duty which l wish with all my hear
| might have been spared, but 1t Is
duty which is very clear, and there
fore l perform it without hesitation
or apology l come to ask very ear
nestly that additional revenue be pro
vided for the Government.
Huge Falling Off.
During the month of August there
was, as compared with the CORES
: ponding month of last year, falling
!. off of $1O,629, 538 in the revenues col
lected from customs. A continuation
of this decrease in the same proper
ton throughout the current fiscal yea
,, would proba bly, mean loss of OF Gus
: toms revenues of from 60 to 100 NIL
lions. l need not tell you to VIVA
this falling off is due. Conditions hav
arisen which no man fOresaW; the
affect the whole world of commerce
and economic production and the
must be faced and dealt with.
t ut would be very unwise to pos
pone dealing with them.
1T would be very dangerous in tn
present circumstance to create mt
ments doubt as to the strength an
| efficiency of the Treasury of tn
United States, its ability to assist t
steady and sustain the financial OF
/ erations of the country's business.
| If the Treasury is known or eve
| thought to be weak, where will b
| our peace of mind? The whole indu
| trial activity of the country would b
| chilled and demoralized. Just no
/ the peculiarly difficult financial pro
1 lens of the moment are being su
I cessfully dealt with, with great sci
/ possession and good sense and ve1
sound judgment; but they are only
process of being worked out. If tt
! process of solution is to be complete
1 no one must be given reason to dou7
/ the solidity and adequacy Of Il
| Treasury of the Government, WIKI
| stands behind the whole method.
| Hurt Business.
| "The Treasury itself could get alor
| for a considerable period, no doul
without immediate resort to ne
| sources of taxation. But at VIII
| cost to the business industry. Appro,
| mately $75,000,000, large part of Il
! present Treasury balance, is nc
/ on deposit with Nationa. banks d
tributed throughout the country.
49, s-o%