Evening star., 1914-09-21
WAR REVENUE BILL
GOES TO HOUSE
Democrats of Ways and Means
Committee Complete Text
of Measure.
LEADER UNDERWOOD WILL
PRESS FOR EARLY ACTION
To Call It Up Next Thursday Under
Special Rule-First Note of
Opposition Is Heard.

Introduction of the emergency reve-
nue. bill to raise s105.00n,0o0 taxing
beer. wines, gasoline, bankers, amuse-
ment proprietors and commercial IN
struments featured the program Tor
today's session of the House. Demo-
Gratis of the ways and means committee
held final meeting today as to the
phraseoiogy OF the bill preparatory to
its presentation in the House.
Democratic Leader Underwood. who
will pilot the bill through the House.
plans to call up the measure for con-
sideration next Thursday under spe-
cial rule. He is determined to press the
bill and believes it is assured of pas
sage in the House by the end OF the
week.
The first note OF opposition to the
war tax measure was heard in the
House this afternoon, when Represent
ative ]. Hampton Moore OF Philadel-
phia took half an hour of time from
the debate on u small building bill to
criticiSe severely the democratic poll
cies which, he claimed, are more re-
Sponsible for the condition of the
Treasury than is the war in Europe
and the consequent decreased custom
receipts. Representative Moore de-
clared that if the country had been
operating under a protective tariff
there would be no necessity for an
emergency war tax bill.
Representative Moore paid particular
attention to the southern cotton grow
er and his present frantic efforts to OBJ
tain relief in the market and in the
banks. Representative Moore said that
the cotton growers should support a
tariff policy and other economic pol
icies that would not put them at the
mercy of conditions over seas.
Representative Garrett of Tennessee
asked Mr.. Moore if he did not recall
that there had been a high tariff on
the Morrison tariff.
Companies Must Collect Tax.
The bill introduced as soon as the
House met today puts responsibility
for collection of the telegraph and
telephone taxes upon the companies
through their reports to the collectors
of internal revenue. In 1898 the public
was required to affix the tax stamp to
each telegram.
graph or telephone companies to make
within the last fifteen days of each
month sworn statement to the col
lector of internal revenue in eadh of
their respective districts, stating the
number of dispatches. messages or con-
transmitted during the pre-
ceding month for which a charge of 15
cents or moro was imposed. the tax for
each message or conversation to be !
cent. Messages relating to COM
pany's own business and official gov
messages are exempt.
Bonds Exempted From War Tax.
All federal, state. county, town and
bonds, debentures or certifi-
Gates of Indebtedness are exempt from
the war tax, as are stocks and bonds
issued by cooperative building and
loan associations that loan only to
their stockholders.
The bill appropriates 100000 for eX-
pense of assessment and collection of
the war tax. including printing the
stamps. 1t is to take effect the day
stamp taxes in schedule A are to cease
January l, 1916.
In taxing life insurance policies
cents for each s160, the bill provides
only, issued on the industrial or weekly
payment plan of insurance, the tax
will be 40 per cent of the amount of
the first weekly premiums, the COM
pany to pay the tax. The tax will not
apply to any 'fraternal beneficiary So
ciety. or order. or farmers purely local
cooperative company or association
or employees relief associations, operat-
ed on the lodge system or local CO.
operation plan, organized and con-
Quoted solely by the members for their
exclusive benefit and not for profit"
Cooperative Insurance Exempted.
Purely cooperative or mutual fire
insurance companies, carried on by
solely for protection of their
own property and not for profit, will
be exempted from the tax of one-half
Of 1 cent on each dollar of marine, in
land and fire insurance. The tax of
one-half of l cent ON each dollar ap-
plies to accident, fidelity, employers
liability, plate glass. steam boiler,
burglary, elevator, automatic sprinkler
life. marine, inland and fire insurance.
1t also applies to indemnity bonds.
Savings banks having no capital
stock with banking business confined
to deposits and loans or investments
for benefits Of it's depositors are ex-
empted from the tax of 50 for each
S 900 Of capital used or employed. A
broker is expended from the $50
brokers' tax if he has paid the bankers
tax.
The 500 tax on proprietors of thea
tiers. museums and concert halls in
cities of $1,000 population includes
moving picture shows.
Tobacco Tax Effective November l.
The tobacco tax is to take effect No
vember l. 1t exempts all leaf tobacco
dealers whose sales do not exceed 1000
pounds. but other leaf tobacco dealers
up to $4,000 pounds. Sc; up to 100, 900
s12; above 1000 pounds, $24
(other tobacco dealers paying a fiat
$3.50 each). Manufacturers of cigars
and tobacco have the same graduated
tax. Cigarette manufacturers are as
sessed s24. Any of these dealers and
manufacturers falling to pay the tax
are made subject to $500 fine or six
months Imprisonment, or both, to mis-
demeanor.
The stamp tax section penalties vio-
lations of the requirements by fines
from $500 to $500. Counterfeiting or
Of dies, Impressions, and SO
on, $1,000 or five years Imprisonment
at hard labor, or both.
Theodore A. Bell of California called
at the White House today to protest
against a tax on domestic wines. He
declared 1t would do great harm to the
xvfne industry