Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1916-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondent

Especial Correspondent
Washington, D. c., Feb. s.
BY far the busiest man about the
Capitol for the past two months
has been Congressman Janes
Hay, of Virginia. Chairman of
the House Military Affairs Com
mittee.
Mr.. Hay has been studiomsly
/ at work since last October pre-
pairing the bill to make some in
creases in the army and place it
in higher condition of prepar-
edness in accordance with the
program of President Wilson and
his advisers. This hard grind in
the committee in connection with
his other work about the differ
emit departments attending the
needs of his constituents has inn
posed on Mr.. Hay the hardest
three months labor he has had
since coming to Congress.
AS early as last October Presi-
dent Wilson invited Mr.. Hay
FROM his home in Madison coun-
Ity to the White House to discuss
the army bill. Several other
conferences followed at which
views on the whole military pro-
Igram were exchanged.
In the funda mental principles
for the increase of the army Mr..
HAY and the President do not
differ, but there is a slight diff
ference of opinion between them
as to detail. Any report that
the chairman of the Military At
fairs Committee and the Presi-
dent have had break, however,
lis without any foundation.
/ Mr.. Hay devoted himself to the
preparation of the Army bill
from October to January 4th
when he introduced it in the
House. 1t was Immediately re-
:
ferred back to the committee and
since January 5th the Military
affairs Committee has been hold
ing daily hearings on the bill.
These hearings, at which Secre.
tary Garrison, all the high off
GERS of the army, and Nationa
IGuard commanders testified, have
been held six days a week from
ten o'clock in the morning until
four or five in the afternoon
81 FLOOD BILL SAVIOR.
The proposal laid before the
House Ways and Means Commit.
tee and Secretary of the Treasury
McAdoo by Congressman Henry
Flood to place tax of 10 pei
cent. on expectations of war ma.
terials during the continuance OF
the European war, has met with
o much favor on both the Senate
and House sides of the CapitoI
and there is little doubt it vii
be incorporated in the emergency
jtax bill to Offset the increased
S revenues necessary to meet Presi
d dent Wilson's program of pre-
Iparedness.
fl The proposition was first pre-
v Isented to Secretary McAdoo an(
r the members of the Ways ant
means. Committee by Mr.. FLOOD
about two weeks ago when Sec
1 rotary McAdoo gave a banque
to the Ways and Means member.
and group of the House leaders
! The purpose of this banquet wa
to make arrangements for speed
ng up" Congress and discussing
means of raising additional rev
sienues. The proposal was dis
cussed then at length and aftei
some argument as to its consti
nationality, it was genera!ll,
|agreed Mr.. Floods plan wa.
e feasible and sure to raise almos
II the entire amount of the needed
revenue If adopted withou
s change
Il In his annual message to Con
gress on December 7th Mr.. Will
a son estimated that if the Nava
and Military preparations recon-
mended by him were adopted BY
congress, and the revenues con
tinue as at present, about S112,'
i 100000 additional revenue viii
be needed BY the end of the next
. fiscal year, June 80, 1917, to meet
all these expenses and leave a
. safe working balance in the
Treasury. This contemplated
the re-enactment of the present
war tax and the continuance OF
the / per cent. ner mound dutv IN