Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-31
HARDING ADVISES
CAUTION IN TAKING
Warns Against Conscription of
Too Much of Business
Profits.
SEPT. 10 is SET FOR VOTE

WI deT cciicAt " NOtc Oh Tic I'd
revenue bill a week from next Monda.
the Senate today settled down to worl
on the war profits and excess profit
tax provisions of the bill. The senator
who believe that the taxes on war an,
excess profits should be increased evel
higher than provided in the Senat
finance committee compromise plan
were confident today that still furthe
increases would be made. They assert
comes would be taken through in
creased surtaxes.
On the other hand, members of tn
finance committee insisted that the,
had gone as far as they intended to g
in their compromise on the war profit
tax. and that the bill would go through
containing the compromise.
A sharp fight is expected over tn,
so-called consumption taxes on sugar
coffee. tea and cocoa 1t was predicted
today by opponents of these taxes tha
they would be stricken from the meas
ure. They believe the needed revenue:
should be taken from excess profits ant
incomes of the wealthy, rather than Il
put heavier burdens upon the poor, wht
There is a movement on foot also tt
raise the exemption on incomes, which
was reduced to $1,000 for unmarried ant
$1,000 for married persons.
Senator Harding of Ohio opened tn,
debate on the revenue bill today
He argued against too drastic con.
scription of wealth. He urged thai
taxes be levied which would not Grip.
pie business. deplete reserve strength
of the nation and its ability to carry
further loans. The war, he contended
10 not popular.
Contributing Reasons.
There are scores Of contributing rea
sons. he said. We are sincerely de
voted to peace. the campaign cry o.
the year before our involvement, ant
II was dweit upon In studied oratory
from every stump. We are q polyglo
people. without racial entity. Our fret
many who cloak themselves in Amer.
lean habi1iments, but their souls, gen.
ius and cunning. are loyal to the LAND
from which they came.
We harbor the trained propagandist.
whose business is to spread sedition
We have plotters and bomb planter
murderers. We have tn,
anarchist whose creed lis destruction
We have the greedy and the profitee
in every walk Of life. And we have no
1EGa C4c8I al OuI IGa8OH8 I0Il makln{
war It would be well to say les
about worldwide democracy and let 4
ring clear thatw we mean to hold Arnar
lea safe for zmericans. We are no
Sighting 70 M the intern4tionAl bound
II necessary to win the war. senato,
Harding said he would conscript ever,
dollar Of income over $4,000 to family
But II you strike at excess profitl
you reduce incomes and are likely tc
hinder our industrial development
penalizing. We're IT not for munitior
plants and for big and highly organ
lied American industries, Germany
would today be dominating the world
'Conscript incomes and profits ant
We are raising larger taxes in ths
first year of the war than Great Brit.
ain in her third. The war is likely ts
end. and believe will end, before ths
burdens we are now Ievying are turn
ed into the Treasury. We may vel
cooperate to strike a staggering blow
at the enemy. but need not strike our.
selves at the same time"
Agreement for Vote September 10.
BY unanimous consent. the Senate lat
yesterday afternoon agreed to vote o,
the war revenue bill. designed to rails
some $4,000. .00o. 900, Monday, Septembe
10, not later than 4 o'clock.
The agreement was made while tn
threat Of . cloture rule was hang1n,
over the heads of the obdurate sena
tors. The Withdrawal Of the petition
for cloture on the wnr revenue bill
which would have come up for a 'vot
today. was included In the unanimou
consent agreement The agreemen
also sets dates for voting on the wa
profits tax section and the income ia.
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all amendments pending thereto will b
voted upon not later than o'clock Sep
tember 5. and the income tax section
not later than 4 o'clock September I.
cIoture Threat Opens Way.
Earlier in the day Senator simmon.
chairman OF the finance committed
sought unanimous consent to vote upol
the bill one day next week, but Senate
refused to permit any such agreemen
until the war profits tax and the in
come tax provisions had been dispose
of. 1t appeared that the vote would b
postponed for a long time. unless tn
proposed cloture should be adopted.
clotures petition came to a vote, par
ticulArly after Senator Simmons ha
sought to reach an agreement for tim
to vote which would be suitable to al
Ln6 SenAIOE8s WOuiu DC AQODleQ. Tn
petition was signed by ffty-nine sena
tors. q sufficient number to put
through when the abeentees are take,
into Consideration.
The cloture rule, as in the case of tn
food control bill. worked well as a clu
whereby to force the senate 10
unanimous consent agreement as to
time to vote on this war measure.
The greater part Of the day was take
up with an attack by Senator Under
T. 49,
framed by the Senate finance commit
tee and a reply to this attack byChair
man Simmons. The war profits tax sec
ton was before the Senate Senate
Underwood asserted that the bill as re
ported by the committee would hay
permitted the Steel Corporation. the a,
Points, the Bethlehem Steel Comnan
and other concerns which were makjn,
vast profits out OF the war before tR;
country entered the struggle to escap
Many Amendments offered.
Anticipating possible adoption !
Siu dneed late in the day. senators tore Intro intro
Gore and Brady sponsored provis,a..s
to increase the war profits Lew,
rates ranging from SO to Sc ga -
cent and Senator La Toilette presanpe pe
substitute bill designed to raise abou
So. 500, ,000, 900 principally from ,.,e
profits, Incomes and liquor taxatjon wa
Exemption from taxation of diy,S
declared by banks and trust comn. !, nu "
out of surplus and undivided prnss
accumulated or earned prior to MARI,
1919, was proposed in an amendment i, y
Senator Pomerene. Another hv .!
ator Ransdell would put a tax q gen
arettes. ranging from cents on tss
retailed for not more than 5 centos'
50 per cent on those sold at rs cents :,
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