Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-07
PROPOSAL OF TAX ON
COTTON STARTS ROW
Southern Congressman Out IN
Kill Plan-Revenue Bill Stin
Short of McAdoo's Requested
$1,800,OOO,O00

Washington May IA proposal by R.u.
resentative Moore of Pennsylvania to IN.
clude tax of $3.50 a bale on cotton /,
the war revenue bill stirred up sectiona,
controversy Saturday in the House way,
and means committee and resulted in IN.
committees failure to complete the bill
Saturday night, as had been planned
When adjournment was taken the sugge,.
ton still was under discussion.
Mr.. Moore proposed the cotton tax whils
the committee was struggling with indif.
ferent success to raise the total of the
bill to the 81, 500, 1900 desired by Sec. Nc.
Adoo. City products. Mr.. Moore main.
tanned. had bsen heavily burdened with
taxes, and it was only fair that the south.
ern planted shoulder their fair shars
Approximately s30,OOO,OO0 would be raised
during the coming year. he said, by the
levy proposed.
storm of opposition ensued and Satur.
day night southern members in and out OF
the committee were up in arms. predict.
ing confidently that the Moore proposal
never would carry. They argued ii would
be just as fair to tax wheat. corn and
oats.
Senate to Give Hearings
Argument on the proposal will be
renewed in 1he committee Monday
It's injection has made the time of
completion of the bill uncertain, but
predictions last night were that it
would be ready for Submission to the
House by Tuesday.
Chairman Simmons of the Senate
finance committee, announced that his
committee would begin work on the
bill as soon as it is reported to the
House. Public hearings will be held
by the Senate committee.
Despite the fact khat the House
bill now totals much less than the de-
sired $1,soo.OO0,0O0, the measure as 4.
nally enacted Is expected by Senate
and House leaders to carry this
amount. Some senators indicate
willingness even to raise the total
above the administration request.
House Democrats again are looking
with favor on applying a graduated
scale to excess profits taxes once sue.
gested by Sec. McAdoo.
Consideration was given a proposal
today to strike out all exemptions and
substitute for the sub committee plan
OF doubling the present excess profits
tax scale of 10 per cent. on business.
es paying from to Is per cent: Is on
those paying Is to % per cent; 20 on
those paying rs to so per cent. and
IS on those paying so per cent. and
upward.
Another proposal was to increase
the present tax OF per cent. to only
IA instead of Is, as planned by the
ub-committee. -
Transportation taxes on pipe lines
and taxes on jewelry and advertising
also were discussed. The former are
new proposals. but more than a year
ago Sec. McAdoo suggested an adver-
Using tax. 1t would be assessed by
space occupied.
First Asst. Postmaster General
Rooms Saturday discussed the pro.
posed zone system rate for second.
class mail matter before the commit.
tee. Indications later were that reduc.
tions would be made in the plan now
in the bill so as to lower the rate for
the benefit of newspaper circulation
within a radius of $50 miles of the
place of publication.
A proposal by Representative Sloan
Of Nebraska to materially reduce the
zone scale was voted down.