New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-19
House Leader Against
Levy on Gasoline, Tea,
Coffee, Pig Iron
ALSO WILL OPPOSE
LOW INCOME LIMIT
Announces That President
Faces Disappointment
i'm Revenue Hunt
linn IL. Trlhnre nl-tsl- ]

Washington. Dee ls.-A fight 10 the
last ditch against Federal taxes on cof-
fee. tea, gasolene and pig iron was
promised to-day by Democratic Floor
Leader Kitchin Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives, following an intimstion By
President Wilson that the present ses-
sion of Congress may be asked 20 pass
an additional revenue measure.
President Wilson himself IS not at
all clear as to whether the present
financial situation Of the government
will require the prompt remedy Of addi-
tional taxes or bond sale or whether
the government can be operated with
out such additional sources Of revenue
until the converting Of the first session
Of the Sixty-ffth Congress. II he de-
cides that additional revenue is needed
al once 70 protect the Treasury he VIII
20 before Congress and point out his
opinion rs TO the best manner OF rais-
ing the $500 100000 needed.
Wilson Faces Disappointment
"If the President expects to Get a
revenue measure along the lines he
suggested at the last session ne VIII
be disappointed" declared Mr.. hltchin
positively. There Will be no tax on
tea or coffee and there will be no TAX
on gasolene OF pig iron. ..
Further. there Will be no reduction
of the present exemption limits OF the
income taxes. The poor man rs not
the one who is helping TO force up the
appropriations, and will fight to the
last ditch before ! see him taxed ioi
something he is not responsible lot
"If We have TO get more revenue
and there is no doubt at the present
rate that VIC must have it, probably no'
at this session, but certainly at the
next-most of the taxes arc gong 10
come from the profits oil munitions
makers, from increased supertaNes on
incomes and from increased lcvies on
inheritances.
81 am so sure Of the attitude OF ms
friends on the Ways and Means Com,
mittee. which will shape that bill, and
of which am chairman, and | am SO
sure how the majority of the members
of This House feel about it, that | can
prophesy there will be no tax on the
articles / have mentioned.
BIames Cabinet Extravaganza
"As a matter of fact, there ought not
70 be any further taxes at all. Mem
bers of the Cabinet should he com
pellcd TO cut their coats according u
the cloth. They have scolded Congress
+ for not installing II budget system, and
( here they are deliberately asking ap.
propriations S300,000,000 IN excess OF
the amount of money which 1t is esti-
mated the Government will receive un'
der existing taxation. They should be
compelled to revise their estimates and
get their appropriation down within
our income.
personally, ! would cut down the
appropriations for the army and navy
to at least tho amount which WAS ap-
propriated last year. There - some
thing curious about II, certainly, Tor
the money is not being spent. No start
has been made on the ships we author
lied last year, as yet, and 1T was only
/ the other day that the keel for one OF
/ the two dreadnoughts We authorized
two years ago was laid.
b Last years appropriations were the
largest-by tremendous amount
this country's history, yet those asked
/ this year exceed those OF last year by
1854 100000 already. and Heaven only
| knows how much more they will be be-
( fore the bills are finally passed."