The Washington times., 1916-07-06
HOUSE PUTS LIMIT
upon DEBATE OVER
NEW REVENUE BILL
Four Days Allowed and Final
Vote viii Be Taken Monday
Afternoon.


the Democratic revenue bill. when
was reported by the Ways and Means
Committee shortly before adjournment
yesterday.
Practical notice that there wfai - .
bond issue of sl25.ooo.ooo was an out
standing feature Of the debata
rule for the consideration Of 0hs
revenue bill, limiting debate to four
days. with a final vote at five O'Clock
Monday afternoon. was adopted ~
vote Of LA to H.
Republicans made a fight against ths
rule. charging that It permitted insult
ficient time for the consideration Of q
In additional taxation.
Now Partisan Measure.
Terming IL a non-partisan measure,
Democratic leader Claude Kitchin.
opening the debate, said II ought to
command the support of all Republi-
cans. except n few extreme old-time
reactionaries such as Hill. Moore. and
Fordney and "the men who gravitate
toward them"
Plainly indicating that he Is not in
harmony with all the provisions OF
the bill, Kitchin said. II can see why
some old-fashioned tariff reformers
such as myself would vote against the
bill. because IT contains some pretty
strong protective MEASURES"
"If 1t had not been for the prepared
ness appropriations. we could have
run the Government without levying
another dollar of taxation" he said.
we are spending $273.c00.000 add
tional for preparedness. and Republic
cans and Democrats alike are respon-
sible for this huge outlay.
III Congress had adopted the more
extensive preparedness program OF
the Republicans, we would actually
have needed sl5o,eoo.ooo more revenue
by this bill. So that 1t will be the
patriotic and manly thing for the Re-
publicans to support this bill. because
The Democrats i 'e OF the Ways and
Means Committee estimate that for the
next fiscal year there will be IAN ex-
cess OF disbursements over expenditures
of sa66. 922, COO"
Will Raise Much of Amount.
The revenue bill will raise much OF
this amount. but approximately 10000
600 must be taken from the general
Treasury balance.
This excess of s2ss, ooo, 900 is exclusive
OF the sl25, 900. 900 for which bonds must
be issued. Bonds. the committee report
says, are to take care OF the extraor-
binary demand OF the Mexican situation
and the mobilization of the national
guard and operations of the regular
troops. r
The revenue producing powers OF the
new bill are listed as follows:
Additional from income tax, S107,
900; Inheritance tax. sl7.0OO.ooo; rnu-
nitions tax. sT,ooo. 900; miscellaneous.
81. oOV, 900. This leaves a balance OF S6s.-
s22, OCc to be taken from the Treasury
fund.
After the fiscal year OF 1917 It ID e.
timated that the tax on inheritances.
called an estate tax In the bill. will
! amount to $54. 0C0, 900.
For the current year, however. only
81, 900 Is counted upon from this
source. the Democrats making an allow
ance for delay In putting the tax
| Two Republican members Of the Ways
and Means Committee Representa-
tives Nicholas Longworth. OF Ohio, and
/ Augustus p. Gardner. or Massachusetts.
voted for report of the Democratic rev.
enue bill although they reserved the
right to criticise many of its provisions.
These Republican votes were cast
on the theory that the extraordinary
expenses for national defense made
| revenue-raising a necessity.
! The Democratic report estimates that
the total expenditures for the current
fiscal year will not exceed sl,579, Ooo, 900.
Includes Mexico Payments.
This total" says the majority re-
port, includes $l25,00o. 900 to meet
the extraordinary expenses or dis
bursements occasioned by the Next
can situation. causing the mobilization
of the national guard and the opera
tion OF our troops along the border
and in Mexico.
in the opinion OF your committee
may be necessary to meet the alb
normal and extraordinary expenses
which may be incurred on such ac-
count should be financed by bond Is.
sues, as Is always done by this and all
other nations under similar circum-
! stances" 80,
pective condition of the TREASURY and
the necessity of providing $266.922,000
additional revenue, the Democratic re-
port says the question confronting Con
that will be sufficient to meet the
needs of the Treasury and at the same
time place the least burden upon the
people who are compelled to pay them
and KEEP, the burden equitably dis
The report then discusses the :deci-
sion OF the committee to raise most
Of the money required from large In.
comes and inheritances, and tax on
production of war munitions. The re-
port says:
mo civilized nation collects so largo
| a part of its revenues through consump-
ton taxes az does the United States, ana
1t Is conceded by all that such taxes
bear most heavily upon those least able
Great Britain. before the European
war. during her fiscal year ended March
81. 1914. collected from income taxes
$3.50 5000 and from death duties. OIL
inheritance taxes. $l32, 900 900. Great
| Britafn's total revenue was $500 O.Ug
and of this amount taxes upon incomes
and inheritances yielded $685., 0O0,0 900. or %
per cent of the total
I'm other words. Great Britain. In
times OF peace. collected SIS per cent or
her revenue from the taxation OF In
comes and inheritances, With less than
one-half the population and wealth OF
the United States. the revenues from
income and inheritances, including
death duties in Great Britain were
more than four times the revenues de
rived from these sources by the Unitec
States. Similar facts might be cited Al
to some of the other leading nations.
Would Balance System.
ut Is probable that no country in the
world derives as much revenue Per
capita from its people through con-