Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-14
PROHIBITIONISTS
PRODUCE CHAOS
Attempts to Hold Up War Leg
islation Till Their Demands
Are Granted Unsettles
Everything
Special Correspondence Evening LEDGER

Everything
Special Correspondence Evening LEDGER
WASHINGTON, July Il.
ILTHEN the Anti.Saloon League insisted
w upon injecting prohibition into the food
conservation bill It prevented an early al
iournment Of Congress and set the Admin
istratlon back in its war plans at least
month. on both sides of the Capitol II
was confidently expected that all Admin
istratlon war bills would be out Of the way
in time for Congress to adjourn by the
middle Of July. The prohibition issue
tackled on the bill in the House. however
threw Congress and the Administration UP
in the air and made very uncertain the
passage Of the two important bills when
President Wilson is now extremely anxious
to have passed, viz, the food BILL which
will enable Mr.. Hoover to exercise his au'
thority as food dictator, and the war tax
bill which Is absolutely essential to all OF
the Administration war plans. The Senate
Committee on Finance, having completed
its war tax report, was prepared to CO.
operate with the House Committee on ways
and Means TO hasten adjournment but the
prohibition amendment TO the food Dill
upset all calculations as to revenue ana
made It practically impossible TO proceed
further with the revenue bill until the
food bill is disposed Of. The revenue loss
on prohibition as retained in the food bill
has been varlousy estimated at from S25O'-
1000 to S1.0OO,OOO, 900, so that TO make
up that deficiency revision of both House
and Senate revenue bills, the one carrying
S1,sOO 100000 and the other S1,G7OOOO,OOO
would be inevitable. The problem when
the prohibltlonlsts thus thrust upon the
nnanciers was so great that new tax
methods will have to be resorted to if the
internal revenue on alcoholic beverages
goes out No satisfactory substitute for
these taxes has been proposed and both
houses have virtually thrown up their
hands until action upon the food bill de-
hnltely determines whether the liquor reve-
nue. shall continue. The Senate will en-.
deavor to solve this problem for itself dur.
ing the next ten days.
Thrown Into Chaos
with an American army in France, and
the conscrlptlon Of American citizens for
army service directly ahead Of us; with the
Allies borrowing hundreds Of millions de-
rived from the issue Of bonds and certin-
Gates Of Indebtedness and with the Council
Of National Defense preparing enormous
contracts, It is disquietng to recall that not
one cent has yet been raised by taxation to
meet these vast expenditures. The President
and Secretary McAdoo said they desired
$1,SOO 900, 900 from taxes to start with. The
House undertook TO raise that amount by
taxation. The House bill was severely
criticized and the Senate committee was
applauded for cutting out many Of the
House bill provisions, but all this was in
anticipation only.
Business men who complained bitterly
about the House bill professed to find some
relief in the Senate bill, but few persons
who are going TO pay the taxes will be
thoroughly satisfied with either bill The
big business men have been too busy, in
most instances, TO keep in touch with the
labors of Congress in this regard
Nor is the full effect of the prohibition
amendment yet clearly understood by tax
payers in general. The liquor interests
know what it means to themselves and
to the National Treasury. They charge
that their property is being conhscated,
and that the Government will make no gain
by destroying their business. They still
hope for the defeat Of the prohibition
amendment at this time, or for it's post
ponement until they can adjust their af-
fairs and dispose of their property Many
Of the big banks are also telegraphing
Washington to hold up the prohibition
amendment because Of loans made on liquor
values in the ordinary course of business
The President has also taken a hand
hoping to amelorate the situation; for all
moro taxes.
The whole legislative condition, there
fore, may be described as chaotic. with no
immediate adjournment Of Congress in
sight
Without the prohibition amendment Con-
gress would doubtless have wound up it's
business and quit Washington by July 15
Now 1t is all off. The Senate has agreed
to debate the food bill until July 2l, after
which It must go to conference between
the two houses for further dellberation
The tax bill is not likely to be considered
again until the food bill is out of the
way, so that the people who are to pay
the taxes will not know for some time to
come just what their burden will be, nor
in what form it will be imposed. The one
thing certain is that the Administration is
piling up an enormous Indebtedness which
must be paid by taxes or loans, and the
President has declared for both
Delay Is Inevitable
Some evidence Of concern at the White
House manifested itself this week. II was
said the President was becoming slightly
sarcastic with some of his Cabinet officers
and other associates in the big business of
war, and that he was also irrtated at Con-
gress. one report obtaining wide currency
was that the President was beginning TO
object to the manner in which Congress
was "thrusting power" upon him. In Con-
gress itself this report, in view of the con-
stant demands from the Administration for
authority-authority which some of tho
members have held to be greater than that
conferred upon the Kaiser'-was not given
full credence; first. because of the tre-
mendous power already transferred to the
President and through him to his mmedi-
ate war councillors, and second, because
Of the Administrations pet measure, the