Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-23
WEALTHY MEN OF NATION &C.
CuSEp OF CHEATING NATION
OF VAST FORTUNE.
soLoNs RIDE ROUGH
SHoD OVER COMMITTEE
Income Tax Provisions to Add $4,000
900 to Treasury-Several Important
Changes Maidstone Big Incomes
Remain Untouched, Senator la Fol-
lette Charges.

Washington. Aug. 2S.-The senate OF
the United States rode roughshod over
its own finance committee and in
eSsased the committees income tax
provisions of the revenue bill by tota!
return to the treasury Of s1S,000,000
This big increase, however, IL only
about one fifth of the increase pro-
posed specifically by Senator LaF'ol-
lette, whose intricate amendment 10
the income tax section was being
scored pitiIessly by Senator Smoot OF
Utah when the senate adjourned last
night.
Senators battled back and forth over
the chamber all afternoon. Senator
Lewis OF Illinois charged that the per-
juries and hypocritical attitude Of the
rich had cheated the treasury OF $780,
100000, and that had 1t not been Tor
false returns under the present income
tax law the burden in the coming law
would not have TO be so great
Add S4o,ooo,ooo to Tax.
Senator Lewis speech was mainly
in support of the Gerry amendment,
which adds s40.000.000 TO the income
tax returns from incomes Of half a
million and over
There has been more lying del!ber-
ateIy perpetrated to the face Of the
OF this finance commit
tee from time TO time by men touching
their finances than could be conceived
as could come from men Of honor or
men Of business standing he said.
Men who would shrink from petty
lying in the ordinary affairs of their
lives and who hold themselves up as
worthy OF the approval Of their fellow
men in the communities where they
live, VIII sedately march in solemn
procession behind the collection plate
thru the aisles of the holy church OF
God, carrying with them the atmos-
phere OF how much holier am I than
thou and will promptly come here
from that Sunday service to this body
Of men and under the guise Of bust
ness necessity justify a form of lying
which in other forums would subject
them to charge of perjury and to the
pains and penalties thereof.
Fraud Of $500, 100000.
The treasury has the established
proof Of s300,00o,000 swindled out Of
this government by perjury, fraud. de-
ception and different forms of COM
mercial and personal trickery under the
income tax returns. Had there been
common honesty on the part Of that
set of men who pirate loudly about the
honor of the republic, and who cried IN
tones of echo thruout the world for
war, there would not have been the ne
cessity for the committee TO levy this
burden that is apparently justified"
Senator Lewis made a compliment
airy reference TO Senator Gerry, calling
attention TO the fact that he, a man
Of great wealth, had offered the
which will collect Z
heavier impost from men Of his class.
He also predicted that unless the pos
SCISSORS OF the coal fields, iron mines,
lumber forests and otner natural re-
sources do not yield to the legislature
in respect to the taxes now found nee
essary federal ownership or control of
these resources is bound to follow.
No Dissenting Vote.
The senate voted for the Gerry
without a dissent, seventy
four senators declaring for it and none
against it. There was nothing else for
them 20 do, as it was an increase, al
tho not so great an increase as Senator
LaFolIette and some of the extremists
would like. In fact, Senator LaFollette,
tho he voted for it, laughted as it, say
ing in effect that it was a bluff: that
by adopting it the senate gives the i'm
preston that it has laid heavy tax
on big incomes.
The bulk Of the big incomes" he
said "are between 100000 and 100000
and are not touched by the Gerry
amendment"
Following adoption Of the Gerry
amendment. the senate rejected the
seven sections adding a war income tax
TO incomes beginning at 100000 and
running up to 100000, just where the
Gerry amendment begins. These Sec
tons. as they came to the senate from
the house, had been amended under
the leadership Of Representative Len
root Of Wisconsin. The senate finance
committee struck out the house provi-
sions thus made and recommended low
er tax percentages. The senate refused
to accept the finance committees work
and substituted the house provisions as
drawn by Lenroot.
Changes Which Are MadG
These changes are as follows:
Twelve per cent on the total amount
by which the total net income exceeds
5000 and does not exceed $50, 900,
changed to- 1875 per cent: $500 to
100000, 16 per cent changed to 1905
per cent: 100000 to s150,0oO, 20 per
cent changed to 21.25 per cent; $150,Oo0
to 100000, % per cent changed to %
per cent; 100000 to s250,0O0, 26 per
cent changed to 80 per cent; s250,00O
TO $4,000. 900. 20 per cent changed to 80
per cent; 100000 to 100000, 81 per
cent changed to 37o5 per cent.
The test Of strength on this long
string of changes came on the first one
wherein the best the finance commit
tee supporters could muster was 81
votes, as against IS against them. On
the next vote the support dwindled, the
committee being beaten 81 to 2e After
that no record votes were taken and
the Lenroot amendments went thru in
a rush.
GERMAN MINISTER MUZZLED.