Evening star., 1915-11-11
HOUSE DEMOCRATS
TO ADOPT PROGRAM
Will Meet in Caucus December
a to Nominate Officers and
Discuss Legislation.
ALSO TO CONSIDER MEANS
FOR PROVIDING REVENUE
Party Likely to Be Embarrassed by
Attitude Of Ways and Means
Chairman.

>iiioNii ats Vi tiiS I1OuSt w Ill
meet IN caucus Saturday, Decem-
Der 4. to nominate their candidate
Tor Speaker and other House off
GERS and to act upon Chairman
Sherley 5 report on the budget
from the special budget commit
tee. 1t is not probable that the
committee lists will be ready for
that caucus. but will be submitted
after the House has organized.
Prior to that meeting, democratic
membe prospective, of the ways and
means committee, will meet in ex-
ecutlVe session to discuss, irformally
the question of revenue, which must be
taken up and acted upon at the coming
session. Representative Kitchin. who
is to be chairman of the committee on
ways and means. expected to meet with
his colleagues November 25, which is
Thanksgiving day, but found that many
of them would not reach Washington
until after that festival spent at home.
Without a Definite Program.
The question of revenue-raising leg
islation is in a chaotic state at present.
Aside from the probability of retain
ing the present duty on sugar, regard
ed as a revenue and not a protective
rate, and the re-enactment of the spe-
cia1 war taxes, no definite program is
in sight. Additional propositions in
clude a sale of Panama bonds, an excise
rr i
tions, automobiles and gasoline; a duty
on wool tfor revenue, not protection),
federal inheritance tax and an in
crease of the income tax.
The prevailing idea among the demo-
cratic leaders Is said to be to avoid as
far as possible anything which looks
like concession to the republican doc
trine of revenue from customs duties,
which duties might at the same time
afford protection to American indus
tries.
Prospective Chairman Kitchin is even
opposed to the sugar duty or any other
added tariff rate, but admits that the
House pToba bly, will override him. Mr..
Garner of Texas, another member of
the ways and means committee. and
classed in the democratic leadership,
favors the sugar duty, but also wants
to go after big incomes, munitions Of
war and automobiles. .sr.,es. s... N
Situation Pleases Republicans.
The democratic attitude is highly
satisfactory to the republicans who
hope that the party in power will
adopt all the proposed systems of in
ternal taxation to emphasize it's policy,
which will be played up strong in this
Congress, of indirect taxation through
customs duties and incidental protec-
ton to industry.
1t is current talk in congressional
circles that while the titular leadership
of the ma jority rests with the chair
man of the ways and means committee
at this session to be Mr.. Kitchin of
North Carolina-the administration will
lean heavily upon others. and 1T is
thought by many democrats that Chair
man Fitzgerald of the appropriations
committee, Chairman Hay of military
affairs committee and Chairman Padg-
EFT of naval affairs, will constitute
triumvirate charged largely with the
duty of putting the administration
measures through.
The recent unofficial announcement
that the Secretary of the Treasury
favored retention of the war taxes and
the sugar duty, with intimation that 4
duty on wool may be necessary. is
Ia ken as the attitude OF the administra-
ton on those subjects.
Democrats say they fear embarrass-
ment will be caused if the chairman
of the ways and means committee reg
listers his personal opposition to the
policy while standing sponsor for the
committees expected bill.
Mr.. kitchins announced intention to
oppose the Presidents preparedness
legislation. it is said, may also en-
barrass his floor leadership.
Probable Bone of Contention.
Another subject to be brought up at
this session is likely to prove a bone
of contention. Announcement is made
that the administration intends to make
as part of it's party Legislative pro-
gram bill giving greater measure of
self-government to the Philippines.
1t Is known that the republicans are
prepared for a tussle on this issue
At the suggestion of Minority Leader
Mann, Representative Miller of Minne-
sofa. republican, spent large part of
the summer in the Philippines making
an investigation of actual conditions
and is said TO be ready with mass of
data bearing upon Philippines affairs
supposedly unfavorable to the demo-
cratic plan.