New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-16
Democratic Caucus De-
cideS to Revive the
Measure of 1898.
COMMITTEE MAY
OMIT SOME ITEMS
Beer, Gasoline, Wines and To-
baCco Dealers TO Provide
Balance of Revenue.
IFrom The Tribune Blreau.I

Washington. Sept. Is. Abandoning
the proposed tax on freight shipments,
the caucus Of House Democrats to.
night directed the majority of the
Ways and Means Committee TO write
an emergency revenue bill taxing beer.
wines, gasolene and dealers in and
manufacturers Of tobacco, and proyid-
ing for an imposition OF a stamp tax
on commercial paper.
The resolution provides that the
stamp tax snail be substantially along
the lines of the Spanish American war
tax bill of 1898, Schedule A, but dis.
erection is given the Ways and Means
Committee to vary the rates and omit
items in the former tax law.
The tax on beer is to be 80 cents a
barrel; on gasolcne, = cents a gallon;
on dry wines, - cents gallon, and on
light wines, 30 cents a gallon.
Mr.. Underwood informed the caucus
that he and the President were willing
TO offer a substitute for the proposal
to tax freight shipments. He estimated
that approximately S4O,OOO,OOO could be
raised by resorting to schedule A of
the Spanish war tax and that S2O,OOO,-
600 could be derived from tax on
gasolene, $32,5O0,0OO from beer and
$S0O0,00 from wines. An internal rev.
cnue tax on tobacco dealers and manu-
facturers was estimated at SS,OOO,OOO,
the total aggregating more than the
Treasury needs for emergency uses
during the European war.
The sense of the caucus was that
items Borrowed" from the tax bill of
1898 should include an assessment
against prOprietors of theatres and
bowling alleys, bankers, brokers, bond
dealers, certificates of stock, bills of
lading, drafts, checks, mortgages, deeds
of conveyance, kilograms and similar
commercial instruments.
Mr.. Underwood said the Democrats
Of the Ways and Means Committee
would begin work tomorrow on the
new revenue ! ill-thc third which the
comU ittco he'd written.
The Spanish war special taxes which
are 70 be adopted by the committee are
as follows:
Banks with captal and surplus not
exceeding 600 to pay a tax of $50
and 81 additional for each additional
81 GOO Of capital; stock and bond brok-
crs, $50; pawnbrokerS, $40; COM
mercial brokers, $40; custom house
brokers', SO; proprictorS of theatres
museums and concert halls in cities of
more than $4,000 population, 500;
circuscs, 500 in each state where per-
tDrmances are given; all other public
q usement places, SO; bowling alleys
and billiard halls, s. table or alley.
~ 'oX on tobacco dealers and manu-
facturcrs ranges from 81 on dealers in
leaf tobacco doing an annual business
not exceeding $4,000 to S24 on cigar
dealers doing a business in excess OF
100000 a year.
The proposed stamp tax will include
bills Of lading, tclcgIap and long dis
lance telephone messages.
Senate Republicans at conference
to-day determined to fight any wal
revenue measure in any form. The
conference appointed Senators Smoot
McCumbcr, Smith, of Michigan, Week,
and Sterling to take charge of the OPP
position, and notify absentees to re-
turn at once, unless occupied with pc.
lItlcal campaigns.