The Washington herald., 1917-11-29
WILL
SHARE BURDEN
OF WAR TAXES
Prepare to Kill
Exemption Clause in
Revenue Bill.


more important issues requiring inn
mediate attention, such as that Of de-
claring war upon Austria and the
allies of Germany, Congress will be
engaged in tidying up the edges Of its
skirts which became somewhat soiled
during the last session. One of the
enterprises which must engage its at
tention is the remedying of the Joker"
which it inserted in the revenue bill
approved October 3. which exempts
Representatives and Senators, as well
as other government employees, from
the s per cent tax which the bill as
sesses on all incomes derived from
professions or businesses in which no
nominal capital is invested.
In the case of an ordinary citizen
the amount OF exemption allowed un-
der this tax is 5000; in the case of a
corporation the. exemption Is $500.
but, and this is the joke in the joker.
in the case Of a Representative the
amount of exemption Is whatever the
Individual happens to be earning for
he Is specifically orfitted from the ap-
plication OF the assessment
Congressmen Exempted.
Congress has been loud in calling
upon the patriotism of the country
to accept gracefully the burdens
which must of a necessity be placed
upon it. To the credit of the nation.
it must be said that there has been
very little audible denial on the
part of our citizens of the justifica-
ton for - the financial hardships
which they gust undergo. The only
cry they have raised is that the
load must be apportioned as evenly
and as wisely as possible. In this
instance the public has been un-
able to understand why the amount
of patriotism demanded from it
should be greater than that which
Congress is willing to place upon
it's own shoulders.
Attention was called to the injus-
tice of the amendment. Senator's
first declared that the exemption did
not apply to themselves and then
when it was conclusively demon
strated that their statement was in
correct, they were equally loud in
their assurance that before the ses-
sion came to its close a resolution
would be introduced which would
remedy this anomalous situation.
They did not do so.
Bill Rushed Through.
Several of those who have already
returned to Washington. however, in
anticipation of the opening of the
doors of the capital on Monday have
announced their purpose Of seeing
that the good intentions Of the sixty
fifth session are fulfilled
Much of the legislation, including
the present example, was speedily
and as a result imperfectly enacted
last summer. 1t was hard to avoid
such a condition because Of the i'm
perative need that the United States
get to hand the tools which 1t would
need to fight Germany. After Decem-
ber .. however. there will net be much
an urgent need for speed and in the
greater time which will be had for de-
liberation many of the rough edges
of past legislation will be polished
of. Objection was also raised to the
eight per cent. clause on a basis
other than the fact that 1t exempted
congressman and government officials.
There was widespread protest
over the fact that it exempted the
"drones" who were engaged in no
business and whose time was spent
only. in clipping coupons. 1t Is prob
able that attempt will be made to in
clude the non-workers as well as the
workers in the jurisdiction of this
clause. In many cases Congress will
increase the scope of taxation be-
cause of the need for revenue which
exists. 1t is improbable that in any
case. however. will a revenue pro-
ducing provision, be repealed.