Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-12
$4,000, 006,000' Must Be
Raised by Special Taxes

1.-THE United States government must
formulate within the next few months
the greatest war taxation measure in
Its history. It must provide about
1000, 100000 to carry on the war for
the coming year. TO enable the pub
lie to understand the steps leading to
the adoption by congress Of the, great
revenue bill and the difficulties lof the
task congress is facing. the Associated
Press has planned series OF articles
on American taxation and war finance
Ing. 1t Is intended to deal with the
subject in simple language, avoiding
technicalities. partisanship or political
bias. and in addition to discussing pres
Sent day problems the articles will tell
Of difficulties Of financing the war of
independence. birth OF the internal
revenue sygtem. forcing federal taxa
ton on the states, developmentiof the
federal treasury. financing the Mexican
and civil wars, the income tax and ex-
cess profits systems. taxtion of the
Spanish war period. pre-war taxation
In America, as well as the proposed
new war tax bill. These articles will
be issued from time TO time within the
next few weeks and should prepare the
public mind to grasp the significance
Of the forthcoming great, war finance
bill when it it ready for the debate in
congress-, The first or Introductory
articles follow.] =
Washington, Aug. 12.-War taxation
with all it's problems, and it's benefits
as well as it's evils. is the subject which
will occupy, congress almost to the ex-
clusion of all others when 1t feassem-
bles for regular sessions on Aug. "a.
A statesman of an, older generation
once remarked that government. was
nothing more or less than the power TO
levy and collect taxes. It Is obvious
that while the subject bf war taxation
has the attention of congress it must
necessarily command the attention OF
the American people. because the
chiefly by it's revenue.
The ways and means committee Of
the house now is engaged in the pre-
liminary work Of framing the $24,000.-
100000 revenue bill which is to provide
the sinews of war for the coming year.
Passage of the bill by the house in sub
stantially the form in which 1t comes
from the committee promises to be a
matter of course.
In the senate, however, will come re-
vision and reconstruction, often Atha
subject of prolonged debate and even
f1libuster, which will put the bill more
nearly in the. shape in which it ulti-
mately will become. the senate, as
some historian has said. being 'tthe
saucer in which is cooled the hot tea
Coming from 4ene cup. Of the house." the
deliberations there are sure to be pro-
slonged.
After the bill has been PASSED by the
senate, it will go to Conference" often
referred to as the place where bills
really are made. Here a. Joint COM
mittee representing eenate and house
smoothes out conflicting provisions. ar
ranges compromises for hard fought
amendments. and finally. inducing each
side to give way little, or when agree
ment is shown to be hopeless. discard,
ing provisions entirely, reports back to
both houses Of congress completed
bill. Sometimes one house or the other,
insistent on some provision, refuses to
accept the decisions OF the conferees
and demands further consideration, but
in the end a bill that is adopted by both
branches of congress comes out.
The war revenue bill will be thread
ing it's way thru these tortuous pass
ages in the halls of congress for sew
eral weeks. possibly until snow flies
and it will be well for any American
newspaper reader who wishes to grasp
the significance of its movements as it
progresses to fix in mind the five stages
thru which the bill passes before 1t goes
to the White House for the signature
{: the president. These stages are:
The bill is framed by the house ways
and means committee. (This 10 now
going on.l