Evening star., 1917-05-20

the consumer the government will charge
an extra cents for war purposes, If the
revenue bill remains in the form so far
approved by the House. Representative
Lenroot of Wisconsin made an effort yes
terday to knock out the per cent war
tax on gas and electric light bills. but a
speech made by Representative kitchin at
the last moment rallied members to the
support of the bill as written, and Repre-
sentative Lenroots amendment was lost
by 116 to S.
Beaten by Big Margin.
The Wisconsin mans success earlier in
the week in increasing the income taxes
led onlookers to believe he would bowl
over the ways and means committees
objections to eliminating the light and
heat tax on American homes, and this be-
lief was as good as a hundred d-to-one shot
until Representative Kitchin of North
Carolina, chairman of the ways and
means committee. allowed his wrath to
boil over in the shape of rtproaring
Tar Heel state stump speech The Len
root amendment was lost by 116 to 5S.
You talk about tax on electric light
and gas shouted Representative kitchin.
green carpet: why. don't you know that
when the Confederate armies menaced
this very capital in the civil war this
very House Of Representatives laid a tax
on tallow candles. which was the only
light of the poor. There were demagogues
then as there are now. but there were
men stanch enough to stand by the gov
ernment.f
Movement Switched OFF.
Kitchin laid out the demagogues with
one hand and with the other polished off
the city men who had been protesting
against gas and electric taxes, and the
result was that the Lenroot movement
was switched off.
you are proposing tax" Repre-
sentative Lenroot warned the House.
ft1at will nah hn ocf ~ inr nf
the people who have almost starvation
facing them in the future-within the
next twelve months in many of the
large cities of the country-for the sake
of raising less than $30,000,000.
THE man who is earning only 50 or
So day will pay his full share of the
wars cost in the prices of things he
buys to feed and clothe his family. AL
we are not suffering to an extent that
makes 1t necessary to reach into every
mans home and tax the very light and
heat used therein. Rather would tax
automobiles IS, $40 or even $lb.'
Reduced Tax on Express Charges.
Attempts to place taxes on express
were made by Representative Howard
of Georgia, without success: and Rep
resentative Sears of Florida made a
valiant but losing appeal to exempt
xTOfH tHS ScHcEdi tTGiS tdA chtQihCheS
of fruit. grain and vegetables. Follow
Ing an attack on the 10 per cent tax on
express charges by Representative
Mann. the House reduced the percent
age to per cent. Representative Mann
brought out the fact that freight, ex-
press and parcel post are competing
services, and that the bill has discrimi-
mated against express services, which
have to be patronized by persons ship
ping perishable food articles.
so pnanv questions have arisen concern
ing war taxes that a special meeting OF
the ways and means committee OF the
House will be held today, and final dispo-
sition will possibly be made OF the trou,
nlesone second class mail increases ana
instrument taxes.
Causing Committee Concern.
Inc pfoposc9 socono ciass mall rate IN
cLeasss ana ne aoVeriInk E1 arc GnuS- ILLS
ln3 lne GmniIlec muen conS1sal WI. VIII
@ tne commlstes .yssS4Asty asieeo V acSep ~
une uo0r sI - ~ 1m n eS AZ ~ .,t
-. ra IN anu snu Dy y,,e @ ,,.1s,,s III In. ,,s,s
80 ua ,as,ssis ~ 81 LIE, ~ bsu NJ ns,raSen.
tss;ve Johnson ~ Washinetn1 news
rener nnhiisher and REPRESENTATIVE EYtS-
SSerrsid ~ Nsw ynrx have in niected new
nrnnosala into the situation. which result
- n fhe comniffes deferr5nr Anal action
Representatiye Johnsen declared that
the Moon plan to increase the mail rate
an periodicals carried in the mails to
any zone above the second was unjust
and suggested a substitute plan basinE