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

The war tax revenue bill. agreed upon
bv the Democrats of the Ways and Means
Committee and framed In accordance
with the President suggestion that such
sources of revenue be chosen as VIII be-
gin TO WELD at once and yield with a
certain and constant fiow," was intro
duced into the House Of Representatives
Monday. On the following day the COM
mittee presented its 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
1t is estimated that the new taxes will
bring SlO5 600 into the Treasury in
year. In general the measure follows
the lines of the internal revenue laws OF
the Civil and Spanish Wars, but while 1t
imposes many of the old and some new
stamp taxes, it omits altogether bank
checks, some other kinds of commercial
pnper, 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
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 it was first proposed. The
Boston Herald calls attention to the
fact that Canada, which is a partici-
pant in the European struggle, is i'm
posing a war tax no larger in proportion
to our own. The Chicago Herald objects
strenuously to the provision concerning
insurance policies: "A tax on life and
casualty insurance policies is tax on
small savings. Why don't the lawmakers
nut a tax on savings bank deposits and
he done with 1t? They are doing about
the same thing" Limited praise for
the bill is given in the New York
World, in the remark that it does not
increase the exactions upon incomes and
omits wholly the mlschievous 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"
saws tine Brooklyn Citizen, lit is a tribute
TO Democratic incompetence and eNtraVa-
gance" The Albany journal calls it "a
war tax in time of peace" and declares
that Congress framed it in the hope of
concealIng the effects of Its free-trade-
ward policy" The proposal for the es-
tablishment OF a 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 TO
| lcgislate for revenues, for then such
| laws will be based upon principle and
/ not upon selishness, which characterizes
the field today"
Yesterday the war tax bill came up
under a rule limiting debate to 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 vote of
! 233 TO 1856.