Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-01
ATENINSENATE
NIXON Amendment Provid-
Ing for so Per Cent
Levy Defeated
VOTE STANDS 1T TO 63
Minority to Keep Up Fight on
Other Amendments, but Odds
Are Against Them
VOTE STANDS IT TO 6S


~ Senator's who seek to force those making
Aueo profits out Of war conditions pay a
l4rge share Of its expenses lost their first
Ne battle in the Senate today when the
amendment by Senator Johnson. OF Cali
3ornia, to the revenue bill, providing an
80 per cent tex on war profits was de-
4eated, II to so.
The hight, however. has only begun. The
determined group Is intent upon making
the proflteers pay their fair due in the war
:, There still remain amendments scaling
Gown to SO per cent of war profits to be
fought for by Johnson.
Tho small vote following johnson indi-
cates the success of the Finance Committee
In ranging behind It many of the dis
erantled southern Senators who oppose the
oommittee bill but are afraid of the wealth
( conscriptionists
Those voting for the big profits tax were
SssSssss sSss,%s gosrsen scsl3 NeN%Py Ns %2,'''''
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La Toilette promptly resumed the fight
for at least rs per cent tax levy on war
profits
LA TOILETTE KEEPS 1T UP
"As always, the people must pay" said
La Toilette. "If the committees bill is
adopted II will take only $1,000 ,000.000 of
war profits. or little more than one
fourth of the s4;100.00oOO0 war profits the
Finance Committee acknowledges are avail
able for taxation.
1T would be reproach to our civiza-
tion IL We failed to prevent one class. COM
paratively small from becoming enormously
rich out OF this war while the much larger
class was impoverished.
Ibelieve that this bill should be so
amended that the billions of dollars of sur
plus accumulated by the great corporations
m
nor be reckoned as part of the capital, as
they would be under the latest scheme Of
the committee for the purpose of increasing
theamount exempt from taxation.
since, returns corporations make are
usually the basis of taxation, the penalties
In the bill are ridiculous. The penalty for
refusing to make a return is not less than
$40 nor more than $1,000. In the name of
common decency let us make the penalties
Tor evasion of the tax law at least as severe
as for evasion of the draft law.
HITS MILLIONAIRE EVADERS.
81. us 1t more serious offense for a father
or mother to evade the draft law to save
their boy than for the millionaire to evade
the tax law to save the dollars he has
wrung out of the war;"
y La Toilette pointed out that if the war
ends soon war profits will cease if it con-
tinues the country will need every dollar it
can get to foot staggering bills.
III clNST event., ne Sdlu, tnG logic is
fnexorable which commands us to take
from war profits now-not tomorrow-the
largest amount possible"
He cited Englands experience to show
that high war profits taxes there-S0 per
cent on all business except shipping and SS
per cent on that-have not lessened pro-
duction nor stihed business.
"And England is putting her rates still
higher" he added
After defeat of the johnson amendment
Senator Kenyon. of Iowa. said
; I'VE did as well expected on the
30 per cent amendment We will go ahead
plugging away with other amendments pro-
yiding somewhat lowor rates. No mater
whether these ays adopted or not we have
forced the Finance Committee to increase
war profits taxes half billion dollars"
Senator Penrose, of Pennsylvania de-
Tended the Finance Committees amendment
1T did not result from yielding to stump
speakers, campaign orators or radical en-
thusiasts." he said. "It was the result of
calm and deliberate investigation and ap-
probation of the situation"
Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts, added
IF we hit business any harder in this bill
Wen fnd 1t necessary next year to raise
billion dollars in consumption taxes. Ny
only aim is to keep business active and
progressive. We must do that and at the
same time get the largest possible amount
by taxation anda keep on getting it.
we can't do anything TO impair the
credit of the United States. which is the
mightiest single weapon In the war"