, 1917-10-11
CONGRESS MAKES LEVY At S27
FOR EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND
CHILD IN THE UNITED STATES
Excess Profits Revenue at Bill on, and Incomes at Nearly as
Much Remain Practically Unchanged by Work of
The Conferees.
corporations Will Pay Their Full Share Toward the Financing II the War
View System Of Graduating the Amount of Assessment ADOPTED Be-
ieved 20 Be the Best That Could Be Devised.

ut JONI cOnIereeS on
the war revenue bill completed their
draft after two weeks of elaboration
AS revised by the conferees the
measure has been raised from the levy
hxed by the senate of S2,416, 67O,O 900 to
an aggregate of approximately 81, 7OO,-
VOO,OOu. Chairman Simmons of the
senate finance committee estimated
h q the increase made by the con-
ferees would approach S275,000 900.
Profits lax Modified.
The excess war profits tax, as agreed
to by the conferees, is a modification
of the senate bill, the principal
changes being in the maximum and
minimum rates of exemption upon
which the tax Is to be determined.
The senate graduated scale of exemp-
lions ran from 6 to 10 per cent, while
the house exemption rate was 8 per
cent The conferees adopted the grad
uated rate of from 7 to 8 per cent.
The definition of capital, which was
a point upon which the conferees ar
gued for days, was modified so as to
provide that the actual value of tangi-
Bile property paid into a corporation
or partnership or individual business
before January 1, 1914, shall be taken
as of that date. The proviso as to
good will and other intangible prop
erty has been somewhat liberalized.
As to Invested Capital"
In calculating war excess profits the
terms Invested capital" of corpora
lions and partnerships was declared
to include actual cash paid in, actual
cash value and other tangible prop
erty paid for stock or shares at the
time of payment or January 1, 1914,
but in no case to exceed the par value
Of the original securities; paid in or
earned surplus and undivided profits
used oil employed in the business, ex-
elusive of undivided profits earned dur
Ing the taxable year."
The allowance for intangible assets
includes actual cash value of patents
and copyrights paid in for stock or
shares at the time Of payment ....
good will trademarks, trade brands,
franchises . If for bone-fide pay
tents not to exceed the cash value"
1t stipulates that such intangible
assets exchanged for securities before
March 8, 1917, not exceeding 20 per
cent of the total, shall be included at
a value not exceeding a fair cash
value at the time of purchase.
Postal Increases.
A fiat increase on reading matter of
X cent per pound until July 1, 1919,
and "A cent thereafter was provided.
Advertising matter exceeding 5 per
cen of the total space would be taxed
from Il to 2A cents additional until
July 1, 1919, and from " to Az cents
more until July 1, 1920; and from Y
to 6% cents to 1921 and from 1 cent
to 8 cents thereafter.
An additional tax of " cent per
pound until July l, 1919, and Il cent
thereafter, on religious, agricultural,
~fraternal and similar publications was
adopted.
The l cent tax on letters, excepting
drop letters and postal cards, was re-
stored by the conferees. A l cent adj
ditional tai on postal aud private
mailing cards was added. The first
class mail increases are estimated to
raise $90,00 900, and are effective 80
days afetr the passage of the act. The
senate provision exempting from post
age Letters written by soldiers and
sailors abroad a retained.
Railroad Tickets Hit.
The conferees levied 8 per cent in
lieu of the senate rate Of 8 and the
house rate Of 10 per cent on passenger
transportation, estimated to raise from
the compromise levy abouot $6O,OOO,-
900 instead of S37, 100000 under the
senate plan. The 3 per cent tax on
freight transportation was retained
and the tax on express transportation
was increased so that l cent would be
levied on each 20 cents paid instead
of each 25 cents. The house 10 per
cent tax on Pullman accommodations,
cut to 8 per cent by the senate, was
restored and is estimated to raise So
900, 1000.
In lieu of the house 8 per cent
tax on sales of automobiles by manu-
~facturers and the senate federal
license tax on owners, the conferees
adopted a 3 per cent tax on all motor
vehicles, including trucks, payable by
manufacturers, producers and import
ers.
Taxes of 3 per cen of manufacture
ers' ales of musical instruments and
jewelry also were written in, with a
tax of 4 cent a foot on motion pic
ture film.
New inheritance Tax.
A new syatem of graduated inherit
lance taxes was written into the bill
in lieu of the house plan and despite
the senate's rejection of such taxes.
The new rates on inherltances, with
those of Americans in military service
exempted, range from one-half of 1
per cent on $4,000 estates to 10 per
rent on eatates of 100000 900 and