Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-14
WAR TAX BILL HELD
UP PENDING RETURN
OF THE PRESIDENT
Wrangling Over Plan to In
clude Freight Causes Dem
ocratic Leaders to Delay
Report to House.

WASHINGTON. Sept l4-Emergcncy
revenue legislation will hold chief i'm
terest in the House this week. despite
the delay in the introduction of the Ad-
ministration bill to provide 500 oooC0O a
year which the Treasury will need be
cause of the falling off of customs duties
on account of the European war In
dications are now that the bill may not
reach the floor of the House until
Wednesday or Thursday but the vrauS-
ling over the proposed taN on freight
shipments has reached such a stage that
a Democratic caucus is planned early this
week when several Democrats VIII seek
TO overthrow the freight tax provision
of the bill
The original program was that tho
revenue BILL agreed upon by "a majority
of the Democrats OF the Ways and
Means Committee, would be introduced
last Saturday and would be formally ro-
ported by that committee today Con-
sideration of the bill under special rule
was scheduled for tomorrow. However, at
the eleventh hour on Saturday Majority
Leader Underwood announced he would
not introduce the bill until it had re-
Ceived the unqualified approval of the
President. the inference bein- that Mr..
Underwood realized the seriousness of
the revolt against the freight tax clause
and intended to put responsibility
squarely up to Mr.. Wilson.
Accordingly. the bill Is held In abey-
Ance until the President gets back from
Cornish, n, H.. tomorrow.
Sufficient signatures have been Oh.
tanned to call a Democratic caucus.
which Is scheduled for tonight or to-
morrow night. unless the President
brings pressure to bear to have it post
poned. 1t probably will require a letter
from him to put the freight tax through
the caucus. although there Is little or
no opposition to the proposed tax on
beer and wines.
When the caucus Is convened Repre-
sentatlves Kitchen and Garner. Demo-
cratic members of the Ways and Means
Committee, who have consistently op-
posed a freight tax, will offer a substi-
tute bill proposing TO tax beer. wines,
whisky. cigarettes, inheritluces and au-
tcmobiles and to increase the income tax
rate.
The entire revenue legislation is mix
ed" and preSages a further delay in the
final adjournment of Cougress.
Senator Robinson, Of Arkansas, said
today that he would offer as a substitute
for the House war tax bill measure tax
ing all automobiles in the United states
from 80 cents to 81: taxing coca cola 10
cents per gallon; retaining House tax on
beer, and placing a considerable tax on
cigarettes.
OUTSIDE or consideration or thn I'M
portant revenue measure, the House Will
conclude during the week its debate on
the bill authorizing tho leasing OF coal.
oil and phosphate lands on the nublic
domain This measure probably Will pass
without serious opposition. on Wodnes-
day the Barnhart printing bill is 10 again
take the right Of way and vote may be
reached on this measure designed 70 re-
wise and oodify the printing laws and
check waste at the government printing
o@l
They would also limit the publication
of government documents 20 the actual
needs of public officials. and seek 20
cheat the Junk pile" 10 which thousands
Of useless, uncalled for documents are
consigned each year.
Routine bills on the private claims
calendars are scheduled to take up the
spare time OF the House. In fact, there
Is no prospect OF a legislative Iet-up at
any time this week.