New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-01
PROPOSAL Of 80 Per Cent
Levy To Be Acted
On First
Johnson's Proposal
Gets Right of Way
Harding and Smoot Oppose
Excessive Burden on
Business

WASHINGTON, Aug. 81. Voting
probably will begin in the Senate to-
morrow on the war profits section OF
the war tax bill.
The situation clarified so rapidly 20
day, following yesterdays abandonment
Of cloture plans and agreement for
final disposition of the measure. that
Just before suspending to-day all was
ready for a vote on the first Of the
amendments to the war profits section
the proposal of Senator Johnson, OF
California. providing q gross levy Of
80 per cent Absence of score Of
Senators not expecting that voting
would begin so early prevented an
immediat. test Of strength.
Senator La Toilette expects 10 make
tomorrow a long war profits speech, on
which h. has been working for several
DAYS, but Senator Borah, leader OF
the group demanding higher taxation,
said tonight this would not interfere
with prompt action CT the Johnson
amendment.
Greater LevIes Urged
Spokesman. for those favoring and
opposing higher profits rates divided
to-day's debate. Senators Harding and
Smoot urged retention Of the Finance
Committees provision, while Senators
Hollis and Gronna urged much greater
levies.
Senators Harding and Smoat warned
that much higher taxation Of war prof
it's probably would result seriously TO
business. Senators Hollis and Gronna
cortended that the bulk of the wars
expenses should be obtained from war
profts. Senator Hollis opposed cor.
sumption taxes proposed, and lnslsted
that the bill be increased to s3,OO0,OOO,-
900 BY levying upon war pronts.
81 am ready to take practically all war
nrofts." he declared. They are trust
fund in the hands Of those that make
them. and the government should have
no conjunction in reaching out and
taking them
az class myself Is conservative, yet !
want the Senate to know that ] would
take a radical attitude on this war tax
10 triumphantly win the war; sara
Senator Harding. III the country
needed il. would vote TO conscript
every dollar of income above S5'oVO 10
family.
Saws Bill Is Radical
"As this bill stands, it is radical
enough. The people Of the country
ought TO know that 1T proposes to take
81 go. OOO. 900 of excess and superprohtS
90
the direct tax upon the people-the
consumption tax. / means but $685.
10000. ! do not count in this direct
tax the levy upon transportation or
liquor. allUde 10 the tax on ncces-
sites OF life.
"Now we contemplate in this bill, as
amended. TO levy ore-hfth OF the eX-
neuse of the war for this year IN taxes
10 be paid this fiscal year. No otht
country has attempted TO 20 so far a.
that. or the levy for this year, let the
American people know that twenty-one.
twcntv-sixths is applied against capital
and income, and one ty'enty-si1th upon
tho consumer. That will give an idea
20 the country a. 20 whether we are
cOnscripting wealth.
THE fact is that we are taking an
infinitely greater percentage OF wealth.
than of men. Senator's have spoken ct
copscriptng the blood of the nation
and of letting wealth escape. That
criticism cannot prevail against this
bill as il stands before the Senate.
Senator Harding commended that tne
war WAS not popular.
There are scores of contributing
reasons" he said eve are sincerely
devoted to peace, as shown by the cam
paign cry OF the year before our IN
volvement. We are polyglot people,
without racial entity. Our free repub-
lie is full OF aliens. We have many
who cloak themselves in American ha-
biliments, but their souls, genius and
cunning are loyal 10 the land from
which they came. We harbor the
trained propagandists whose business
is TO spread sedition. We have plot
tiers and bomb planters and wholesale
uurderers. We have the anarchist,
whose creed is destruction. We have
the greedy and the profteer in every
walk of life, and We have not been
clear in our reasons for making war.
II would be well to say less about
worldwide democracy and let it ring
clear that we mean 10 hold America
safe for Americans We are not fight
ing TO fix the international boundaries
of Europe.
May Reduce Incomes
"If you strike at excess profits you
reduce incomes, and are likely to hinder
our industrial development" he con
tinued. "There is no cause for penaliz-
ing. Were il not for munitions plants
e. ~. hichlv nrcapiyeJ