Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-14
WAR TAX BILL BACKED
BY ALL HOUSE PARTIES

Debate on the war tax bill occupied the
House again today, with the prospect
that the stage of considering amend
ments might be reached before ad-
tournment and a vote assured by Fri
day or Saturday.
Support from both sides of the cham
Der continued to show the disposition
of the House to stand in the main by
the provisions of the bill as drawn by
the ways and means committee and to
defend attacks upon 1t on the ground
that the government must have the
revenue
Representative Longworth, republic
can of Ohio opened debate today in
favor of the measure. He declared the
bill was ideally balanced" and that 80
per cent of the tax it imposes would
be paid by accumulated wealth ana
people of moderate means. He and the
other republicans on the committee had
Joined with the democrats and pro-
gressiyes. he said, in unanimous sup
port of the bill, and patriotism had
been the guiding motive of the COM
mittee.
There is little in it would approve
in time of peace, but, gentlemen, we
are at war and must have money, he
told the House ut is hard for some
people to get it into their heads that
Mr. Longworth estimated that so per
cent of the taxes under the bill Will
be paid by accumulated wealth. 81 per
cent Dy 10 per cent W
luxuries and not over per cent VIII be
shared by the actual necessities of life.
He declared lit is significant that pro-
tests against this bill are not from the
poor people, but come from the pro-
ducsrs of luxuries pure and simple.
Protests at Senate Hearing.
Protests against many features of the
war tax bill continued today before the
Senate finance committee Newspaper
publishers protesting against the proposal
to increase carriage rates on daily news.
papers brought large delegation to tell
the committee that such rates would tax
many newspapers, output OF business.
The committee, before getting to the
newspaper rates, heard some other pro-
tests on other sections.
d. R James, representing the American
Chicle Company, urged the elimination
of the per cent tax on chewing gum
sales, as the tax cannot be passed, on to
the consumer
1--WE are willing to bear 10 per cent
ad valorem tax" he said.
Lyon johnson of New York, represent
ing theatrical interests, described the
amusement tax plan now in force in
Canada and submitted it to the committee
as a suggestion. He also suggested
tax on cabarets.
Blow Aimed at Newspapers.
Newspaper publishers were here today
to protest to the Senate finance commit
tee against the increase in second-class
mail rates by application of the parcel
post zone system, proposed in the bill:
A statement prepared by a committee
Of the American Newspaper Publishers
Association. headed by Don C. Seitz of
the New York World, said the proposed
sition to close the mails to newspapers
and would result in so much loss of cir
culation, especially among farmers, that
postal income would decrease and the
par ria a
greater loss than at present.
"The newspapers are ready to meet q
real honest tax" said the statement,
even to the point of presenting the
government with all profits, provided
other lines of business are asked to
do the same, but If it is the purpose
of the government to establish a nom
competitive. do-as-we- please, charge
as-we-please post office monopoly, 1t is
difficult to see why the Sherman law
should be allowed to stand, or why
we should speak disparagingly of
Prussianism."
Increase Beyond Precedent.
said. "is not a war tax, but an effort
to further repress and erNbarrass the
newspaper industry. The rate proposed
is an. increase from 100 to 600 per cent
an increase beyond precedent.
The newspaper business is today the
most heavily loaded in the country. 1t
pays the highest wages. enjoys no
form of protection, sells its product at
the lowest cost our coinage will per-
init. and always at a fixed price 1t
cannot well pass its load along or
change from day to day as the mer-
chant meets price raises"
A table of railroad and express COM
pany charges for carrying papers in
the east was presented to show that
postal transmission of newspapers is
slower, less efficient and more expen-
siye than other means, and consequent
1y that higher rates are not just fled
1T is the studied policy of the Post
Office Department and its employes TO
fu-treat newspaper mall said the state
ment
Besides Mr.. SeitZ, the committee con-
sisted of Herbert F. Gunnison of the
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Harry Chand-
Ter, Los Angeles Times; Robert Ewing.
New Orleans Daily States; C. p j.
Mooney, Memphis Commercial Appeal:
James r. Gray, Atlanta Journay, and
Frederick E. Thompson, Mobile Regis
ter.