The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-09-07
HOUSE PASSES
BY SOLID VOTE
WAR BOND BILL
Entailing Huge Sum of SILL
538, 945, 460 Adopted By
Vive Voce Vote

. v WV wv
Washington, Sept. AFTER fifteen
hours of debate the 11,53s,s45, bond
bill. the largest in the history of the
country, was passed by a viva voce1
vote in the House today with only
about half the members interested
enough to respond aye when Act
ing Speaker Fitzgerald put the ques-
ton. The bill was passed practically
as it came from the committee, there
being only one or two minor chang
es. The measure contains provision
for the following items:
New loans to the Allies $4,o00,006,00O
Loans formerly author
lied 3,o00,000,0 900
War savings certificates 2,00O,00O,0OO
Treasury certificates of
indebtedness 1900, 100000
To take up. miscellan-
eous out standing
bond issues 538,945, 460
Total s11,5as,s45,4so
The Senate received today the
House war bond and certificate as
passed yesterday and will begin its
consideration, according to present
plans, Immediately after disposing OF
the, pending war revenue bill. -
Just before the bill was passed an
effort, of Representative Moore, Penn
syfvania, to attach to the bill a pro-
vision for a joint committee on war
expenditures failed when Acting
Speaker Fitzgerald ruled that More's
motion to recommit the bond bill with
specific Instructions to the committee
to put the joint committee proposal in
the bill was out of order.
An amendment. offered by Repre-
sentative Cannon, Illinois, providing
that holders of bonds in amounts UP
to $4,000 shall not be subjected to
any taxation except state Inheritance
taxes, was adopted by the House: An
amendment offered by Representatives
Gillette, Massachusetts, reducing the
amount that the Treasury Depart
ment may spend to float bond issues
from one-seventh to one-tenth Of !
per cent. was defeated by II to 4s.
The proposal of Representative
the Treasury Department to expend
not to exceed s2,500,000 to advertise
Forthcoming bond issues in the daily
deal of acrimonious debate, in which
the daily papers were accused of sell
fishness and lack of patriotism. The
amendment was defeated by a vote
of 105 to IT.
The Appropriations Committee of
the House favorably reported the gem
eral deficiency bill today. The meas
ure carries 81, SIC, 900 s000. 8 Actual APP
preparations proposed aggregate s3,-
775,0o0. goo, AMI the other s1,035,-
600, 900 would be authorized now and
appropriated at the next session Of
Congress. It is expected the bill will
be passed within two weeks.
Debate on the bond bill was mark
ed by demands for more taxes to be
borne by the present generation for
the support of the war and fewer bond
issues to be loaded on the future gem
erations. Speaker Champ Clark and
Representative Shirley Kentucky, led
in this discussion and were answered
by members Of the Ways and Means
Committee, who showed !. that the
United States Is to raise more taxes
in proportion to the bonds issued than
any Of the other nations at war.
II am in favor of a fifty fifty ar
rangement in regard TO bonds and
taxes said Speaker Clark. st am
opposed to loading. this debt on future
generations. This generation entered
into the war and should pay its war
debts The wealth Of this country is
conservatively estimated at two hum
bred billion dollars, and the highest
tax proposed by any one would not be
outrageous. Two billions a year on
that valuation surely is not excessive.
Three billions a year ought not to be.
'1 tell you If the young men of this
country are willing to risk their lives
to go to war then those of us who are
going to stay at home certainly ought
not to be afraid to risk our dollars
am in favor Of paying as much of this
war debt as we can without extortion.
Those of our soldiers who come back
from this war ought not to be COM
PEELED to pay this war debt. = s4
Responding to a question from Rep
resentative Fordney of Michigan, a
high tariff advocate, Speaker Clark
got round of applause when he said
that if he had the choice between rails
ing the, tariff and voting bond issues
he would vote to raise the tariff, but
would pray to God Immediately after
ward to be forgiven.
st believe the Judgment of the best
financial thought of America is in ia
vor of sufficient taxation to- put a re-
straining hand upon expansion and in
flation in prices said Representative
Shirley.
SOCIAL AND PERSONAL