The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-10-19
IMMENSE LOT
OF WORK DONE
BY CONGRESS
Session Remarkable, of Course,
for Its Action on War
Measures.

iUOd0hf
LITTLE FRICTION NOTICED
Members, as General Thing, Wer
Observation-Disclosures Sue
cessful in Most Legislation
1t Wanted Adopted.
WaShingtOn.-"The most remarkable
session in the parliamentary histor,
OF the world" was the way Demo
cratic and Republican leaders charac
terized the first war session of the
SiXty-ffth congress, which came to &
close at three o'clock in the afternoon
of October 6, exactly six months after
the declaration of war against Ger
many.
The record of legislation enacted
and money appropriated has no paral-
lei anywhere in the annals of all time.
Beginning with the declaration of
war against Germany in April, con-
gross has passed bill after bill of the
most revolutionary character, includ-
ing such measures as the draft bill
and the food control bill. ApprOpria-
tions and contract authorizations for
the present fiscal year, totalling SOL
390000,000, including $7000,000,000 in
loans to the allies, were voted with
out single dissenting voice, record
equalled nowhere, not even in the
kaiser-dominated German reichstag.
How Money Is Expended.
The following table shows how the
money is to be spent:
ARMY III, OUU,0UO
Navy $4,000 900
Merchant shipping f1eet....... 1889, 100000
Loans to the allies. ........... 1000, 000, 0O0
Defense fund for
President Observation-Disclosures. 80
Food and fuel control. 100000
Soldiers and sailors insurance 176O00,0GO
Interest on bonds and certih-
Gates Observation-Disclosures. 9OO,OOOOOO
Civil establishment of govern
ment ....................... 95S. 100000
All other expenses. .............. 102,000,O00
AS part of the scheme of meeting
these enormous expenditures congress
passed the 81, 535, 100000 war revenue
bill. the largest taxation bill in Amer
lean history, levying directly or in
directly upon every man, women and
child in the United States. Something
more than a billion dollars of this
amount will be taken from war profits. |
All incomes more than $1,000 for sin |
gle men and more than $1,000 for mar
ried men are made subject to taxation.
: Where New Taxes Fall.
Here are some things upon which
the average citizen will pay taxes I'M
der the new war tax bill:
Approximately 2 per cent increase
on incomes of $1,000 or less.
Letter postage, except local letters,
increased to cents and postcards to
2 cents, beginning November 8.
One cent for each 10 cents paid for
admissions to amusements.
Five-cent shows and 1O-cent outdoor
amusement parks exempted.
Ten per cent on all club dues of S12
a year or more.
One cent for each % cents paid for
parcel post.
cone cent on each % cents express
package charge.
Three per cent of all freight charges.
Eight per cent of passenger fares by
rail or water, except trips of less than
30 miles. ,
Ten per cent of charges for seats, |
berth and staterooms on parlor cars {
or vessels.
Five cents on each telegraph, tele- :
phone or radio message costing 10 {
cents or more.
Three per cent ON jewelry. 6
Eight cents on each 500 of life in |
The tax on whisky is in. {
creased from $1.10 gallon to $500. G
The tax on beer is increased from 81
a barrel to S275.
Increased tax on cigars, cigarettes I
and manufactured tobacco and snuff. I
Little Dissension During Session. 2
Despite pacifist activities, the ses- o
sion was marked with comparatively a
little dissension, the fighting centering
about questions mainly affecting pol. g
cy. The most stubborn contests were c
staged over the revenue bill, the draft
Dill and the food control bill. In ev- "
cry case, except censorship OF the d
and speech, the admins. e
ration has received everything it asked D
If congress for the conduct of the tf
var.
Congress was in session 1873 days
During that time more than 10000 c.
rmy, navy and marine corps nominal p,
ions sent to the senate were con-
irmed, among them the advancement CT
# Major General Pershing, comman- IL
Ter in chief of the armies in France, tt
nd Major General Bliss, chief of staff, 81
O the rank of full general, held only
our times previously in American his ia