Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-26
EMERGENCY TAXATION

The war tax revenue bill. agreed upor
| by the Democrats of the Ways and Means
| Committee and framed in accordance
with the Presidents suggestion that "sucl
sources of revenue be chosen as will be.
gin to yield at once and yield with a
certain and constant how." was intro.
| duced into the House OF Representatives
Monday. On the following day the COM
mittee presented it's report. saying that
| "the necessity for this legislation grows
out of the reduction of revenues derived
from customs receipts, caused by the
disturbed conditions resulting from the
war in Europe"
| Ii is estimated that the new taxes will
bring S1O5,OOO,OOO into the Treasury in a
year. In general, the measure follows
the lines of the internal revenue laws OF
the Civil and Spanish Wars but while it
imposes many of the old and some new
stamp taxes, it omits altogether bank
checks, some other kinds of commercial
paper, also medicines and perfumes. In
place of these are taxes upon gasoline,
parlor car and sleeping car tickets and
various kinds of wine. Beer pays less
than heretofore, whisky is ignored and
tobacco's burden is not much changed.
Bankers, brokers and amusement pro-
prietors are levied upon, and insurance
policies and telegraph and telephone mes
sages are included among sources of rev.
enue.
Republican opposition to the bill has
been manifest in Congress and in the
press since 1t was first proposed The
Boston Herald calls attention to the
fact that Canada, which Is partici-
posing a war tax no larger in proportion
to our own. The Chicago Herald objects
Strenuuusly 10 the provision concerning
insurance policies: "A tax on life and
casualty insurance policies is a tax on
small savings. Why don't the lawmakers
put "A tax on savings bank deposits and
ne done with it? They are doing about
the same thing" Limited praise for
the bill is given in the New York
World, in the remark that 1t does not
increase the eNactions upon incomes and
omits wholly the mischievous idea OF
taxing domestic freight bills. Support
and opposition, both in Congress and
out Of it, is divided on strictly partisan
lines.
The principal criticism of the war tax
measure is that IL IS wholly unneces-
sary The new tax is not a war tax"
says the Brooklyn Citizen, 1T is a tribute
10 Democratic incompetence and eXtrava-
gance.' The Albany journal calls it "a !
war tax in time of peace" and declares !
that Congress framed II in the hope of |
concealng the effects of Its free-trade- |
ward policy" The proposal for lhe es- !
tablishment of taxation commission. |
to which would be committed the entire |
subject of revenues by the Government.
is seconded by the Ohio State Journal |
as the way out Of such muddles as that |
which now exists; 1T will be a forward |
step when Congress Yields Its right 10 |
IegisGte for revenues for then such |
laws will be based upon principle and |
not upon selhshness, which characterlzes |
the field today"
Yesterday the war tax bill came I'D
under a rule limiting debate 10 seven |
hours. This rule, reported from com
mittee on Thursday. was denounced by
the opposition as a gag" rule
The bill passed the House by a vote OF
233 to 1856.