Arizona republican., 1917-05-16
FLOOD OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
 TO WAR REVENUE BILL PROBABLE
 BE OFFERED IN THE HOUSE TODAY
Republican A. P. Leased Wire1

WASHINGTON, May 15.-General debate o4 the $l,S00, 000, ,000 war rev enue bill closed tonight after five days of discussion, and Democratic Leader Kitchin predicted a final vote some time Saturday.
 The bill will be opened to amend ment tomorrow and flood of proposed changes probably will be offered. An amendment which would permit firms to add the amount of their increased taxes to contracts made prior to the passage of the law probably will be the most important new proposal offered by the ways and means committee. Vigorous fights will be made against the excess profits, income and auto mobile taxes and the proposed in- creased rates on second class mail Debate on the measure again today centered largely on the second class mail matter section.
 Representative Johnson of South Da- kota, proposed a substitute plan to tax newspapers flat rate of five per cent on their advertising returns. Repre- sentative Mondell declared the proposed rates would make it impossible for magazines and newspapers to maintain their present general circulation.
 Representative Young Of North Da- kota. said that if the government would pay for the free advertising given by newspapers the papers could afford to pay first class rates.
 Public hearings on the revenue bill before the senate finance committee were concluded today with statements by the last of more than 100 represent atives of industries heard since Friday in protest against heavy taxes proposed in the measure. Nearly all ef the wit nesses agreed ti3at they were willing to assist the government in every way possible. even to surrendering their en- tire profits. but they objected to the rates in the bill as confiscatory and , ruinOus
 Today'S sessions were devoted largely to further hearing of the protests of newspaper and periodical publishers against the proposed increase in second class mail rates and the tax on print paper.
 i A delegation of New York and Chi cago business men, headed by Sol 1 WeXler, protested that the amount pro- l posed to be raised from taxation was excessive and called attention to the depression in business which followed introduction of the bill in congress i MT. WeXler urged that the interstate commerce commission be permitted to grant all public utilities under it's con- 1 trol an increase in rates equal to 30 per cent of their present gross receipts and that out of this increase they be required to pay to the government 1( per cent of their gross receipts He also suggested that a tax be i'm posed on users of automobiles and thai 1 the proposed tax on corporations be amended so that it would he a flat tas on earnings instead Of on excess profits The proposed tax on electric light. gas domestic power and advertising, the delegation contended, should be elim- mated
 If the excess tax is persisted in.
 said MT. Wexler, 'business will suffei
 serious handicap, capital will be dis
 couraged. the profits of stocks of al
 kinds will shrink, and conditions ma,
 become semi -panicky''
 Amos Pinchot, representing an or
 ganizatiOn known as the Americal
 Committee of War Finance said man,
 organizations including famers an,
 the United Mine Workers had endorse, the committees resolution that the wa should be fianced from receipts of tn income tax.
 Frank P. Glass, chairman of tn paper committee of the America
 Newspaper Publishers association
 and George McAneny of the New Tor Times were recalled when the commit tee took up the section levying a te per cent tax on print paper Under your direction" said M
 Glass, ''the federal trade commissio 1 spent months investigating condition
 of the print paper manufacture in thi
 country. That body recently made
 report to the department of justice de
 claring there was a combination anon
 manufacturers, establishing the fac
 that there were abnormal profits i
 that trade and that the newspaper
 were oppressed as a result. Acting O
 this report the department oi iusIie
 has caused indictments. to re foun ] (Ccntnued on Page Two)