The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-09-10
WILSON URGES TAX
slO0,00O,00O EXTRA
MESSAGE ADDRESSED TO CON.
oREss PERSONALLY BY PRES
IpENT WILSON.
IT IS BAD BORROWING TIME
Play Safe in Event War Continues
Z Ready For Any Contingency
Keep Treasury Strong.

washington We SHALL pay the
bill, though we did not deliberately
incur it," said President Wilson when
presenting before joint session of
Congress his appeal for an emergency
internal revenue measure to raise
100000 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 fow."
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, a tax of one or two cents
gallon; railroad and amusement
tickets, tax of five to ten per cent:
beer, an increase of 80 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 100000.
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 Department
probably early next week When the
bill is completed in committee, it
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
Representatives Underwood, Fitzger-
aid and Mann. The President said he
had come to discharge 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 sort.
To borrow money, the President
urged, wits unwise, bond issue would
make an "untimely and unjustifiable"
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:
II come to you today to discharge
a duty which wish with all my heart
l might have been spared, but it is
a duty which is very clear, and there
fore 1 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 $10,629, 538 in the revenues col
lected from customs. A continuation
of this decrease in the same proper
ton throughout the current fiscal year
would probably mean loss of of Gus
lions. l need not tell you to what
this falling off is due. Conditions have 1
arisen which no man foresaw; they
affect the whole world of commerce
and economic production and they
must be faced and dealt with.
cit would be very unwise to post
pone dealing with them.
'It would be very dangerous in the
present circumstance to create a mo-
ment's doubt as to the strength and
sufficiency Of the Treasury Of the
United States, its ability to assist to
steady and sustain the financial op-
erations of the country's business.