Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-27
TO SPEED
TAX BILL BLOCKED
New Closure Rule May Be
Evoked by Advocates
of Quick Vote
LONG FIGHT SEEMS SURE
WASHINGTON. Aug. 81.

WASHINGTON. Aug 81
Efforts TO hasten action on the war ia,
bill were blocked in the Senate today
Senator Simmons tried four times 10 limi
( debate on the bill itself or on the lncom.
and war tax sections. only to have objec
tion raised by Jones. of Washington. and Ii
Toilette, of Wisconsin lie finally notified
tho Senate that when the postal rates and
publishers tax sections are disposed of, h,
will ask immediate consideration of war
profits.
Harding, Of Ohio, urged immediate ac-
4 tion. saying THE country should know
what new burdens Il must assume partic-
ularly II the view of the extremists. who de-
mand so to so per cent war profits tax, Is
to be accepted"
The new closure rule may be resorted &c
BY those favoring a quick vote
Circulation OF a petition was begun to-
day by Senator Hale, OF Maine. Conscrip-
tfonists say II can't get the necessary two
thirds vote because there IL no filibuster on
the bill There must be evidence of a fill
buster before closure can be invoked.
MAY ADOPT CLOSURE
IL two-thirds of the Senators present sup
port the closure motion, no Senator there
after may speak longer than one hour nor
more than once on the pending measure.
Adoption of the closure rule Is favored by
the Finance Committee. which sees ahead
long fight on war profits and incomes
The Johnson-Borah group will vigorously
oppose closure, and La Toilette. who has a
program all his own for increasing war
profits and incomes, is bitterly opposed TO
1t and will fight its application until after
both the income and war profits sections
have been disposed of.
out of the chaos, the pickering, parleying.
trading, compromising and strategic maneu-
vering over the big war revenue bill. this
seems to be the almost certain outcome:
A bill OF at least 81, ,0OO. 900. 600. a bill
lion more than proposed by the finance
Committee.
The elimination of all the so-caled mis-
cellaneous consumption taxes. aggregat-
ing nearly half billion dollsrs.
Substantially increased levies upon in
comes of more than $4,000.
A levy of somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000, 100000 upon war profits
LA TOILETTE MAY COMPROMISE
This is substantially the program of the
La Toilette ma aximalists." and they de-
clare they have the votes to put it over
They are going to back war profits tax of
30 per cent. and IL they cant get that ac-
Stptru tiey Will pTopoSe IL 20 per cent TAX,
and keep Offering gradually reduced amend
ments until they hit the acceptable level.
The "old guardsmen'' and conservative
Democrats supporting the bill in its present
form maintained their claims of victory. but
their claims lacked the tones of confidence
prevailing In the opposition camp. They
are not only confronted with the La Toilette
movement, but their flank is badly exposed
to the fire of the Southern Democrats, who
are opposed to the pre-war basis for levyng
the war profits tax Unless they can put
down this mutny they are doomed to GER
tain defeat.
There is considerable reluctance on the |
part of the Finance Committee to make any
compromise on the pre-war basis because it
evolved that scheme of levying the war
profits tax after the most exhaustive nves-
tigation To give in now, committee mem
bers declare. would necessitate changing the |
whole foundation work OF the bill.