New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-09-11
WAR REVENUE BILL
PASSES THE SENATE
Gronna, Borah, La Toilette and
Norris Only Four Against It

Washington, Sept 11.-By a vote
of 50 to 4, the War Revenue bill,
carrying an aggregate tax of $2,4o6,-
$4,000, was passed by the senate last
night. The vote came just before
o'clock, after four hours of voting,
during which advocates of higher
taxes tried desperately to advance the
levy on incomes and corporation ex-
cess profits.
The four senators standing alone
on the final vote against the meas
ure were Gronna of North Dakota,
Borah of Idaho, La Toilette Of Wis
consin, and Norris of Nebraska, all
republicans. An unexpected develop
ment was the support of Senators
Gore of Oklahoma and Hardwick of
Georgia, who had put up stubborn
fight at every turn on various TEA
| lures of the measure, and were count
| ed upon the opponents of the bill to
vote against it.
The senate, shortly before passing
| the bill, eliminated the entire tax up
| on sugar, coffee, tea and cocoa,
which, under the finance committee
schedule, would have yielded $86,00O,-
| 900. 1t also threw out the Mcclellan
amendment providing for a zone sys-
!
| ter. This struck out a prospective tax
Of $12,6OO,000 from the measure The
| Mcclellan amendment was defeated
by a vote of &C to "a AS the bill
! now stands, all of the extra news
paper and periodical taxes are elimi-
mated, the publications being subject
however, to the corporation taxes.
The consumption tax which pro-
posed a levy of cents a pound on
coffee, cents on tea, cents on
cocoa, and half a cent on sugar, was
rejected by a vote of 81 to 2S. The
elimination of this tax threw almost
the entire burden of taxation, en-
braced in the bill, upon individual in
comes, alcoholic beverages, and eX-
| cess war profits.
| Under the bill as it goes to con-
ference, the three principal items Of
taxation are: Incomes, $S42,2O0, 900;
excess war profits, 1850, 100000, and
distilled spirits, $21S,000,000. On
transportation, including parcel post,
freight, passenger tickets, and tele-
phone, telegraph and cable MESA ges.
an aggregate yield is imposed Of
$141, 900.
La Toilette Had Substitute Bill.
The hardest fight of the day came
on an attempt of Senator La Toilette
to substitute an entire bill, compre-
bending an aggregate levy of $780,
; 100000, with $2,1s9. 100000 to be i'm
posed on excess profits, $1,000, 900
on incomes, and the rest on alcoholic
beverages and tobacco. The La Fol
lette amendment contemplates a flat
S6 per cent tax on excess profits
Senator La Toilette, in one of the
bitterest speeches he has made attack
ing corporation and individual wealth,
+ urged the senate to make the wealth
of the land stand the pressure of war
tax The La Toilette amendment was
killed by vote of 65 to Is. The
: vote follows:
Ayes:-Borah. Brady, Gore, Gron-
ma, Hardwick, Hollis, Husting, john
) son of California, Jones of Washing
ton, Kenyon, La Toilette, McNary,
Norris. Reed, and Vardaman.
3 Nays-Bankhead, Beckman, Bran
degee, Calder, Chamberlain, Colt,
Curtis Dillingham;, Fall, Fernald
Fletcher, France, Relinghuysen, Ger
ry, Hale, Harding, James, Johnson of
South Dakota, Jones of New Mexico,
Kellogg, Kendrick, King, Kirby,
Knox, Lewis, Lodge, McCumber, Nc
kellar, Martin, Myers, Nelson, New,
NewIands Overman, Page, Penrose,
pitman Poindexter, Pomerene, Rams
. dell, Robinson Saulst ury, Shafroth,
| Sherman, Shields, Simmons, Smith of
Georgia, Smith Of Maryland. Smith of
Michigan, Smith of Carolina, Smoot,
= Sterling, Stone, Sutherland. Swanson,
Thompson. Trammcl, Underwood