The Monticellonian., 1918-01-11
MAY NOT REVISE
 TIE TAXATION BILL.
CONGRESS PROBABLY WILL DE- CiDE THE CA5oR TOO GREAT
 FOR THE FEW CHANGES.
MEMBERS ARE NOT EXEMPT7
Representative William R. Green of Iowa, Takes This Position and Asks the Commissioner of Internal Rev enue to Ruls Accordingly.
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

of ways and means to raise the addi- tional income needed for the next fis- cal year. Mr. MeAdeo has set the sum necessary in the balance figures.
 There seems to be little reason to believe that the lawmakers intend to revise the taxation bill of last year to any material degree, if they touch it at all. There has been good deal of talk about the necessity of getting af ter the excess profit taxes, as some oth- CT matters. but presumably the enor- nous labor which would be involved to secure comparatively few changes will operate to prevent any reopening of an old question.
 There is one taxation matter upon which 1t probably will not be neces- sary for congress to act. It will be re- membered that the senators and repre- sentatives calmly exempted themselves from the tax which would make their salaries subject to the excess profits provision of the law. This provision hit the salaries of other men which were in excess of certain amount. but left congress foot-loose of payment
 There has been a great amount of criticism of this exemption action of the members. A jocose one asked why it was that the congressman exempted themselves from this tax and he fur nished his own answer when he said because the hide of a hippopotamus Is seven-eighths of an inch thick"
 Their Expenses Are Heavy.
 Some persons seem to think that the personal experience of one member confronted with heavy expenses and with the heavy labor of making both ends meet with his salary, influenced him to lend his unquestionably able aid in securing the exemption for himself and his colleagues.
 There is something to be said in be- half of members of congress in this matter of exemption from the excess tax. A member is paid $T.500 a year and this to q great many men looks like big salary. but senators and rep resentatives have to indulge In expen- ditures which people do not know any thing about and of which they, of course, cannot properly speak.
 Members of congress are marks There Is not a charity going. good charity, indifferent charity or bad char ity, which does not send it's represen- tatives to ask contributions of mem- bers. They must buy tickets to this and to that thing and moreover, if the personal "reminiscences of all of them could be written and the account books made public, 1t would he shown that they contribute money out of pocket day In and day out to the indigent.
 Representative John J. Fitzgerald of Brooklyn gave up his seat in the house the other day because he could not make both ends meet Here is q man who as chairman of the commit tee on appropriations has all the lime light that anyone could wish, who has the respect of congress for his grasp of financial matters and for his keen knowledge of parliamentary affairs, and yet he prefers to give up public life and the considerable honor which has been accorded him In order that he may make enough money. not only to care properly for his family but to enable him to care for himself in the future of old age.
 Not Exempt, Says Green.
 Representative William k. Green of Iowa, member of the ways and means committee of the house, has written a letter to the commissioner of internal gument that members of congress are not exempt from the ruling of the in come tax and he has asked the commis- sioner to rule accordingly. If the rul- ing that Representative Green asks is made, every senator and representative in congress must pay the per cent excess profits tax proposed at the last session on provisional incomes and in comes derived from business in which there is no investment of capital.
 Representative Green in his letter to the commissioner declares that members of congress are not officers of any state nor are they officers un- der the United States within the mean ing of the war revenue act He holds that if q statute intends that the term "ofiicers of the United States" should include members of the congress, there must be something in the statute to show that fact.
 There are other members of congress who believe that under the wording of the taxation bill they are not exempt from this tax. Many of them have suf- fered under the criticism which came because of the self exemption.
 National Press Clubs Officers.
 The National Press club with an active membership which includes virtually every newspaper man, au- thor and magazine writer in this town, is marching on in the old successful way despite the war, which has deprived it of active members, and despite prohibition, which some un. unknowing person said would kill the club life in this city.
 There never was much conviviality