Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-09-05
Democrats Meet and Begin
Consideration Of Plans for
Raising $l00,000,000 10
Meet Expenditures.
TAX ON LUxURIES is
REGARDED PROBABLE
Some Objection Voiced When
It Is Proposed to Add to Ex-
pense Of Purchase Of Rail-
road Tickets,

10y NoHNtNo JOURNAL SPECIAL lekseo WipGi
Washington. Sept. I've shal
pay the bill. though we did not delib.
erately incur IT," said President vii.
son today. presenting before q joint
session of congress his appeal for an
emergency internal revenue measure
TO raise S1o0,000.000. the govern.
ment's probable loss 20 customs re.
ceipts because Of the war In Europe
Prompt action was necessary, the
president said, in order to keep tho
treasury strong. His only suggestion
as TO the method for levying the tax
was that sources would be chosen
that would begin to yield at once and
yield with certain and constant
flow
Meets With Promnt Response.
The appeal met with quick action.
As soon as the president had left the
house chamber amidst an outburst OF
applause. Speaker Clark referred the
message to the ways and means COM
mittee. Democratic members of the
committee met tonight at the call OF
the chairman, Representative Under
wood. 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 we're:
Gasoline. tax OF one or two cents
gallon: railroad and railroad and
amusement tickets. a tax Of five TO
ten per cent: beer, an increase of fifty
cents barrel: domestic wines. whis-
key. an increase Of fifteen cents gall
Ion; proprietary articles. tobacco and
tobacco products; chewing gum, soft
drinks, playing cards.
Railroad Tickets Questioned.
The proposal TO tax railroad tickets
WAS not received with enthusiasm by
the members of the committee al
though 1t was estimated that five
per cent tax would raise $40. 900. 900.
Chairman Underwood said the ar
ticles suggested would be gone over
by the democrats of the committee
and list of taxable articles would be
agreed upon by elimination. This list
will be submitted to the treasury de-
partment probably early next week
for estimates of the amounts to be
raised on each and the rate of taxa
ton. When the bill is completed in
committee IL probably will be brought
into the house under a special rule
and hurried through.
Following is the full text of Presi-
dent Wilson's address to congress. as
sembled in joint session. on the need
of emergency revenue legislation:
Full Text of Address.
Gentlemen Of the Congress ! come
to you today to discharge duty
which / wish with all my heart
might have been spared; but it is q
duty which Is very clear. and there
fore l perform 1t without hesitation
or apology. / come to ask very earn
estly that additional revenue be pro-
vided for the government.
During the month of August
there was. as compared with the cor
responding month Of last year. q
falling off of $10,629,53S In the reve-
nue. collected from customs. A con-
tinuation of this decrease in the same
proportion throughout the current
fiscal year would probably mean a
loss of customs revenues Of from
s60,000,000 to 500, 100000. ! need
not tell you to what this falling off
is due. 1t is due in chief part not to
the reduction recently made in the
customs duties. but to the great de-
crease In importations; and that Is
due to the extraordinary extent Of the
Industrial area affected by the pres
ent war in Europe. Conditions have
arisen which no man foresaw; they
affect the world of commerce and
economic production; and they must
be faced and dealt with,
Must Act Promptly.
1T would be very unwise to post
pone dealing with them. Delay In
such matter and in the particular
circumstances in which we now find
ourselves as a nation might involve
consequences of the most embafras-
sing and most deplorabIe sort. Tor
which I, for one. would not care to
be responsible. 1t would be very
dangerous in the present circum-
stances to create moments doubt
as to the strength and sufficiency OK
the treasury of the United States: its
ability to assist, to steady and sus-
tain the financial operations Of the
.L.-s lie