Evening star., 1915-11-23
REVENUES TO HOLD
CENTER OF STAGE
Congress to Be Occupied With
Question of Raising Money,
Senators Declare.

The question of revenue for the
government of the United States
promises to push aside that of
preparedness and take the center
of the stage on the opening of
Congress, according to senators
and representatives who have al
ready reached Washington.
The country has been aroused
to the need of great military pre-
paredness, it is said, but will the
country be willing to pay the
bills?
day that the revenues derived from ex-
isting taxation are not sufficient to
keep the government running as 1t is.
without any question of enlarging the
army and navy He said that the demo-
Gratis would have been face to face
with the problem of increasing the
revenues of the government even had
there been no talk Of greater prepared
ness.
"Perhaps, suggested this senator,
some of the democrats who are now
advocating preparedness realize that 1t
is a good political move to go to the
people with a request for more money
in the interests of national defense than
to go to the people admitting that the
administration has not been able to run
the government in time of peace within
the ordinary revenues"
This same senator said that in his
opinion the administrations program
for preparedness was entirely inade-
quate If the reason for enlarging the
army and navy is really to be ready for
war"
THE people of the country" he said,
have been aroused to the need of pre-
paredness,. but the plans of the admin
istration are not sufficient even to
guard the Pacific coast II all the money
appropriated was to be expended there"
The republicans are inclined to regard
the situation as to their advantage.
The people want a larger army and
navy. and the democrats are puzzling
their brains over the question of how to
give the people what they want and at
the same time not make the party un-
popular through levying taxes.
May Issue Bonds.
Some Of the members of Congress
here are predicting that bonds will
have to be issued to raise the needed
money. One of the first jobs when Con-
gress gets together which will face
the members is that of re-enacting the
SO called war tax law. 1t is expected
that this law will be re-enacted and
that in an effort to raise money it will
be extended to cover industries and
activities which it does not now cover.
Some of the members of Congress are
in favor of increasing the scope of
the income tax law and also providing
for an inheritance tax. Still others
are urging that an internal revenue
tax be placed on the manufacture of
war munitions, which are being maze
here in such great quantities and ship
ped to Europe 1t is believed in many
quarters that tax on munitions would
he popular.
However the money is raised to in
crease the army and navy, it will have
to come from the pockets of the peo-
pie, it was pointed out, and the ques-
ton is do they want larger army and
navy to the extent of going down IN
their pockets and paying for it?
Republicans are pointing out that
while they were - power they paid
the government for everything. as 1t
went along, and still had money in the
Treasury. They are saying that the
people will turn to them again at the
polls next year in the hope that the
Republican party will be able to manage
to pay the bills without inf1icting new
taxes on the country.