The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-05

the ways and means. committee Demo- cratic members of the committee met tonight at the call of the chairman, Rep resentative Underwood. and began con sideration of plans to raise the additional revenue. Various members suggested sources which they believed would be properly subjected to additional taxation. On the list suggested were:
 Gasoline, a or ? cents gallon tax; railroad and amusement tickets, tax of to 10 per cent; beer, an increase of 50 cents d barrel; domestic wines, whis- ky. an increase of 15 cents gallon; pro | prietary articles. tobacco and tobacco products chewing gum soft drinks play ing cards.
 Proposal Not Favored
 The proposal to tax railroad tickets was not received with enthusiasm by members of the committee although it
 was estimated that a per cent tax would l raise $i0.0G0000,
 Chairman Underwood said the articles suggested would be gone over and list | of taxable articles agreed on by eimi- nation. This list would he submitted to | the treasury department probably early | next week. When the bill is completed
 in committee it probably will be brought into the House auuder a special rule
 and hurried through.
 Enthusiastic Greeting 1 President Wilson was given an enthu- l siastic greeting when he entered the l House chamber, escorted by Senators 1 Kern, Clarke and Gallinger and Repre- | sentatives Underwood, Fitzgerald and | Mann. The President said he had come | to discharge d duty he wished he could avoid but made it plain that additional 1 revenue was necessary and that he per | formed his duty without hesitation or
 apology
 Unforeseen conditions occasioned bX the conflict in Europe, he said. had created conditions which, unless dealt with promptly. might involve consequences of | the most embarrassing and deplorable sort" To borrow money. the President
 urged was unwise bond issue would
 make an 'untimely and unjustifiable" de- nland upon money markets leaving tax 1 ation as the only method left to raise 1 revenue.
 i In this situation he appealed to the
 '.profoundly patriotic people of the coun- | try to take up the burden
 | Following Is the full text of President Wilson's address to Congress:
 'Gentemen of the Congress: l come to you today to discharge d duty which l wish with all my heart l might have been spared; but it is duty which is
 very clear. and, therefore l perform it without hesitation or apology. | come l to ask very earnestly that additional | revenue be provided for the government.
 During the month of August there | was as compared with the corresponding month of last year. a falling off of Sl0- | 6o9 53S in the revenues collected rom GUS 1 toms. continuation of this decrease in
 the same proportion throughout the cur rent fiscal year would probably mean 9 l loss of customs revenues of from soo'00oWo l to Sl00, GOO GOO. I need not tell you to what | Il l,io fol liyc off Is | part not to the reductions recently made l in the customs duties but to the great
 decrease in importations: and that IS due | to the extraordinary extent of the indus trial area affected by the present war in | Europe Conditions have arisen which no | man foresaw: they affect the whole world 1 of commerce and economic production,
 and they must be faced and dealt with.
 Unwise to Postpone Action 1 'It would be unwise to postpone deal-
 Ing with them. Delay in such matter and in the particular circumstances in l which we now find ourselves as a na- | ton might involve consequences of the most embarra ssing and deplorabie sort
 for which l. for one, would not care te
 be responsible. It would be very dan
 gerous in the present circumstances te | create a moments doubt as to ths
 ss-e~ gth and sufriciencv of the treasury
 of the United States it's ability to assist
 ,o steady and sustain the financial opet
 ations of the countrys business II th'
 treasury is known, or even thought, t'
 be weak, where will be our peace O.
 mind? The whole industrial activity o the country would be chilled and demor
 alized Just >now the peculiarly dlffi ] cult financial problems of the moment ar'
 being successfully dealt with, with grea
 self-possession and good sense and yer,
 sound iudgment: but they are only II