Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-02
Revenue Bill improved

THERE is no doubt that the war revenue
1 bill has been improved greatly by the
work of tho Senate Finance Committee.
Abolition Of the blanket tariff of 10 per cent
on all imports now on the free list and of
the blanket increase Of 10 per cent on all
other schedules is sufficient in itself TO
justify the committees labors. Not even
the confirmed protectionist has found It pos
sible TO justify this hasty and unscicntitic
device, an:1 lOw-tariff advocates. who mix
brains with :heir economic theories. have
condemned it as grossly unfair.
The free list. as The Times-Dispatch has
pointed out III an earlier discussion. is not
an arbitrary exemption of certain articles
from the payment of tariff duties. 1t repre-
sentS an effort on the part of legislators to
encourage American industries. by providing
them with cheap raw materials. and TO aid
the arts and sciences. 1t has a real relation.
at least in concept. to the good of the masses
OF the American people. and in practice 1t
works out quite as we'll as any of the
schedules OF the tariff law which carry heavy
imposts.
1t may we'll he that some commodities now
admitted duty free should pay for admission,
but to attach a blanket tax to the whole list,
without any discrimination whatever. vio-
lates elementary considerations Of economies.
as we'll rs OF justice.
The substitution OF scise taxes on sugar,
tea, coffee and coco is certain to arouse
opposition. but the substitute is much to be
preferred to the original. Whatever else
may be said OF these taxes, their proceeds
will 60 to the government, while tariff pro-
ceeds would have gone very largely to the
importers, refners and other large handlers
of the affected commodities. In either case
the consumer pays. The difference might not
be so great, perhaps, on coffee, tea and coco,
none of which is produced in this country,
lint tho q =, n - . -,
tariff added to the price. whether the sugar
were produced in Cuba or in Utah or
Louisiana.
In many ways the Senate committee has
relieved the burden which the House meas
ure created. Taxes on transportation have
been reduced materially. II seems likely
that the rule-of-thumb excess profits tax,
which in reality is not a tax on excess profits,
but on all considerable profits, will be re-
placed by a more just and sensible enact
ment. The heavy surfaces on incomes above
$Ao,o00 are stricken out, the policy OF wis
dom at this time, when it is considered that
such incomes support very largely the cdu-
cational and charitable institutions of the
country. War will not abate educational
or charitable demands, but enlarge them.
These demands must be met either by private
benevolence or with government funds, and
the government has enough on its hands
already. The time is not yet when such
conhscations are necessary. The "pay-as-
you-go' principle does not involve the dis
enlargement of business and the hampering
OF industry.
Some modification of the confscatory
second-class mail increases OF the House bill
appears to be assured. The newspapers of
TINS country desire no special privileges or
exemptions, but they do not want to be taxed
out OF existence or so burdened and op-
pressed they cannot meet their obligations
TO their constituencies. They have travelled
a rocky road for more than Il year, and the
House planned to lead them to the verge Of
a cliff and then kick them off. The Senate
committee has more
moro sense.