The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-12
Senate Agricultural Committee
Will Not Report Out Gore
Substitute
EXPECT OWNERS WILL !
WITHDRAW HALF STOCK
Senator Smoot Believes Not
More Than 100000 CAL
Ions Will Be Left In Bond.
Other Must Pay War Tax

Especial to The Richmond SlrgiHlan.)
Washington D. C. July 1.-THE
Gore amendment to the food control
bill, the substitute as the Okla
homa senator calls It, including
changes in the prohibition sections Of
the bill. will not be reported out by
the committee on agriculture, OF
which Mr. Gore is chairman.
This was decided informally at a
meeting Of the committee today. 1t
was decided also. after liberal discus
sion Of the subject, that the prohibi-
ton sections as adopted by the SEN
ate last Saturday, under unanimous
consent rule. must stand as part
of the bill. and cannot be amended.
To Ensure Sections validity.
To meet the charge that the Smoot
amendment might be unconstitutional.
the committee Will amend that section
Immediately following the amended
Robinson amendment or Saturday.
thu one which has to do with COM
Wandering in such way a g to make
The Smoot amendment absolutely con-
stitutional After discussion Of the
subject today, during which views Of
a bic lawyers on the subject were
secured * was agreed that beyond
doubt the Snoot amendment could be
made absolutely proof against attacks
as to its constitutionality by amend
ing The section as to communicating
The verbiage of this amendment
viii be decided upon later. Should
Senator Gore still desire TO &c; his
substitute considered, the committee
having also decided not TO report any
part of it, he will have to introduce
it on the f1oor, provided he can do
this under the rules,
Snoot supports Amendment.
Senator Snoot IN a statement today
discussed at length his amendfAnt,
supporting II throughout and in his
statement he said In part
Estimating that there are about
200, 600. 600 gallons of distilled spirits
in bond at present. the cost 10 the
government. including the money paid
for the LIQUOR and the taxes which
would have been collected. would not
exceed 1882. 900, 900 and probably In
the end the cost would be consider
ably lower
ABOUT one-half of the liquor in
bond VIII be withdrawn, have no
doubt. BY the time the law goes into
effect This leaves 100. 900. 600 in
bond From the treasury department
have received an estimate of sixty
two cents gallon as the price which
the government will have to pay to
obtain this liquor
That means $4,000. 600 The
amount Of revenue in taxes, including
the old taxes and those proposed
under the war revenue bill will be
600 10 the government In taxes and n
total cost to the government of ap
proximately s2s2 100000
ION the distilled spirits withdrawn
from bond the government will col
lect the proposed tax of s2,20 q gal
lon AT present the tax on distilled
spirits is $40 a gallon: this will have
70 he paid. The war revenue bill pro-
vides an additional tax of $40, and
the liquor will not escape this new
tax either. for we have provided in
the revenue bill that all distilled spirits
produced or imported upon which the
tax now imposed by law has been paid
and WHICH are held by a retailer in n
quantity in excess of Atty gallons or
by any person or corporation or as
ISOLATION In any quantity. whether in
the original condition or mixed or
combined with any other article and
which are intended for sale must pay
this new tax,
This is certain. The manufac-
ture OF whiskey and other distilled
spirits for beverage purposes Is dead
and will never be revived, in my opin
ion. This plan adopted by the SEN
ate affords fair and just way of
handling the situation. 1t is pro-
posed to pay the owners FOR their
property"
senate Makes fair Progress.
The senate made fair progress with
the food bill today. All committee
amendments were adopted with the
exception OF two. One concerts the
right of members OF the council of
national defense to participate in gov
eminent contracts. The other deals
with laws governing speculation.
These will be talked over tomorrow.
There are some thirty amendments
offered by other than committee mem
bers yet to be considered
1t was decided today that employees
of the food commission need not
necessarily be appointed through civil
service. But II was definitely speci-
fed that they should not be exempt
from the military draft. The house
has already insisted upon this. Sena-
tor Chamberlain asked that the $780,
100000 in the bill be made available
as part of 1t would be
needed for a building to house the
food administration
Criticism was made by Senator
Wadsworth. of New York. that the
bill as now pending included nearly
every commodity except Portland
that's the only thing can
think Of" He said that while one
section was aimed to control wheat.
the bill might regulate other markets
and would frighten business There
would be no wheat in 1918, said he.
II money was not supplied under the