Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-12
BILLS IN CONGRESS
DEMANDING ACTION
Speaker Clark Predicts There
Will Be No Adjournment
Until Election.
PLAN TO RUSH DRAFT LAW
Some Leaders Claim Customs
Tax May Be Imposed to
Get Revenue.
PLAN TO RUSH DRAFT LAW
[By Associated pr.4.

"ASH1NGToN. August u.-con-
gress. with its legislative proeram
5ammed with the revenue, draft and
water power and other importan, bu,.
Will not adjourn until Just before m.
November elections. according TO a
prediction to-day by Speaker Clark
after he had surveyed the situation
He said that while the Ways and Me,r,
Committee Is planning to reporr tho
revenue bill when the House reason
bles week from tomorrow. the ad-
ministration bill for general deye,on-
ment Of water power. by previous
agreement has right of way and can
only be displaced by unanimous con.
sent The revenue bill will have I'm.
ished its committee stage, according To
Chairman Kitchin's plans, SO II can be
considered whenever the House Ia
ready, and 1t has been announced the
draft extension bill will be considered
promptly in the House Military Com
mtttee, with hearings.
Despite Chairman Kitchin's pIan
from the outset to avoid resort 70 ,b.
tarin. in the pending $S,o00.o0O 600
revenue bill. some committee sentiment
apparently had turned to-day toward
the feasibility Of wartime increase
on limited number Of customs items
tax OF per cent or approximately
that rate. on gifts Of all kinds, without
qualification for the period OF the war.
was favored to-day by Representative
Hull. OF Tennessee. one of the Demo-
cratic members of the committee. and
the author OF the income tax law. wv.
could raise $4,000. 900 to $4,000. 600 by
tax on gifts" he said
Chairman Kitchin did not 20 to tho
Capitol to-day, taking a complete res,
In readiness for the final week of the
framing OF the bill as he considers It.
IL he has evolved a plan to make up
the 3l.oo0,oo0.o00 deficiency in the es-
timated revenue that the bill as far as
planned Will produce. he has not made
1t known to the committee. He will
receive information early this week
from the Treasury giving the estimated
revenue from the industries falling
under the excess profits proposed tax.
FIGURE 90 PER CENT OF
INDUSTRIES MUST PAY
1t has been calculated that In the
plan Of an alternative system of ex-
cess profits, and war profits taxes,
whichever would product the higher
revenue to be applied in any given
case, 80 per cent OF all American in
dustries would fall under the alterna-
tive war profits tax and the other 10
per cent In the straight excess profits
tax Some members Of the committee
believe Chairman Kitchin will yield to
the Treasury plan to let excess profits
stand as under the present law, and 1t
is certain that revised figures show tho
bill then will be within $500 900 900 of
the total sought.
An effort will be made in the COM
mittee to write into the bill more
elastic provisions as to exceptional
business, with the dual object 10 avoid
breaking down any particularly indus
try and to allow a latitude OF action
that would permit raising more reve-
nue. than under too rigid language.
Members of the committee point to the
proposal TO tax gross sales of retailers
as a feasible plan.