The sun., 1916-09-07
STAMP TAXES OUT
OF REVENUE BILL
COnferees Agree to Trade Re-
prisals, but May Revive
Phelan Provision.


WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-Elimination Of
all stamp taxes In the emergency reve-
nue. bill. seriously objected to by the
House. was agreed upon late tonight by
the conference committee. House con-
ferees yielding In exchange for this
concession their demand Tor restoration
Of u tax on refiners OF copper.
To maxi up for the loss Of about
100000 revenue in sacrificing the
stamp taxes, the conferees are expected
to agree to a suggestion Of House MEM
bers that the net profit tax on manu-
lecturers Of munitions OF wal be in
creased from ten to twelve and "A half.
Sacrifice Of the proposed stamp taxes
gets tho revenue bill back in accord
with tho original determination Of the
Administration leaders and the House
Ways and Means Committee to repeal all
Of those provisions in the existing war
revenue law which were generally re-
gardcd as a~nn"yAnces by the public.
The proposed stamp taxes included
bonds. de%behtures and cert ificates of
stock, agreement to sale. c~ouveyances,
warehouse. and custom house receipts,
foreign steamship tickets and Pullman
car tickets.
R%etaliatePy Features.
Amendments empowering the Presi-
dent 10 retaliate against foreign inter-
Terence VI American malls and COM
merce. IL was said. would be retained.
with probable revision Of the Phelan
amendment. regarding Interference with
the mails. which had not been submit
ted to the State Department before its
adoption by the Senate.
The proposed Teens tax on corporate
stock. increases In the duty on dyestuns.
increases In the income and inheritance
taxes. and the provisions creating a tariff
commission all were approved.
Secretary Lansing explained guardedly
to-daythe general purport Of the retalii-
tory legislation against the Entente AL
lies which has been Incorporated In the
revenue bill. II amounts to placing tha
power OF retaliation In the hands OF the
President without necessarily implying
that he now c~ontemplates the Use OF II.
In fact. the IMPRESSION gathered at
state Department IL that this Gov
docs not consider that the
yarlou matters In controversy with
Great Britain and the Entente Allies
have reached An impasse where any
form OF rcprisal Is the only remaining
means OF dealing with them.
The Thomas amendment providing for
rcprisals against belligerents who dir
crt'ninatc against American
has the full sanction OF the state De-
partment and practically originated
there, but the Fhelan amendment au-
'horizing the President to deny the use
OF the United States malls, cable. wire
less and express facilities to belligerents
originated elsewhere In the Administra-
IN. Mr.. Lansing declined to say
whether the State Department approved
or dlsapproved OF II.
The Lusitania Case.
IN response TO n question whether
us Government contemplated any sc-
on toward obtaining q settlement with
Germany for the loss of American lives
on the Lusitania IL was said at the
state Department that no new develop
ment was in mind at present.
What was described in some circles
AS An incongruity between the Admin
istration's insistence on the protection
or American commerce and us lcniorCy
toward the sacrifice OF American lives
was met with the That de-
Ponds on the point Of view"
Informal inquiries which Sir Cecil
Spring-Rice. the British Ambassador
made yesterday at the state Department
are taken as an indication of representa-
tons which VIII follow after the legis-
lation has become part of the law.
This Government will take the view
that II is acting well within it's rights.
and that the powers granted To the
President do not mean that he will feel
al. liberty TO use them without the most
painstakinE study - the issues involved.
The Phelan amendment particularly
IL regarded hN some State Typna- ~ mont