The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-25
TAX, OR NO TAX!
Z
Bin This Session Rests on
Presidents Decision Now.
Coigress Is Ready if 1t Has To
: Do the Work.
IT will Be MOST RADICAL
Luxuries and NOn-EsSentials OF
: All Kinds Will Pay.
War Profits, Incomes and In
3 heritances To Be Hit.
IT WILL Be MOST RADICAL
BY t. c. MARTIN.


Washington, May 25.-The tax bill
wilson.
Secretary McAdoo declares there
must be a revenue bill this session.
Congress says there must not. Today
thekpresident is expected to decide the
question.
Having taken a firm position be-
hind McAdoo, the president was
swept by a heavy fire of opposition
argument from Senator Simmons last
night and forced to hold up a decision
until he had seen McAdoo again today.
Hee also will confer again with Sim
| mons and Chairman Kitchin of the
house ways and means committee,
whd yesterday gave up all hope OF
avoiding a tax bill this session and
/ PREPARED to begin work on the meas
| e1next week.
n the president orders the bill the
wealth conscriptionists plan to come
| int their own. The word has been
aseed that there must be no limit to
thestaxes on war profits, swollen in
comes and Injuries.
= Congress Will Write It.
Representative Kitchin, who de-
| clates congress and not the treasury
| win write the bill, said it will add
from three to four billions to the
| nations revenue. making tax total
. of seven to eight billion dollars.
Speaking for themselves and not
views. Kitchin and other leaders in
dicRted they plan to raise:
SIX billion dollars or Whereabouts
! from incomes. war profits and inheri-
/ taHces.
Two billion dollars from luxuries
. ana miscellaneous sources.
These figures are subject to radical
| changes but they represent the ra
tios leaders have in mind.
Under existing tax laws, excess
| profits and incomes are paying ST.,
: 1854 SIS, 900.
Estate taxes add $5O,917,OOO, so that
| theSplan of congressional leaders con-
. templates more than doubling present
RATES
= Hit Luxuries Hard.
Every sort of luxury those enjoyed
Il by The poor as we'll as the rich, will
4 be Faxed to raise the remainder.
II is likely that movie patrons will
i find their evenings enjoyment costing
twqs or three pennies more after the
neN bill becomes effective. Tobacco
and cigars are due for another boost
Photographs and records, pianos and
. all5other musical instruments will be
coafiderably more expensive. Even
theFhumble mouth organ will not es-
cdRf. Automobiles will pay heavily.
al cosmetics will be taxed to the
linn. as will jewellery and non-essen-
tiaifarticles of household use, such as
/ brtc-a-bric and oil paintings.
Tea, coffee and sugar consumption
/ taxes will not even be considered I'M
less it is found there is no way to
raise the required amount without in
cluding them.
A Bad Time For It.
Congressional leaders realize they
. fade hard job. A leading member
of the senate finance committee, stat
| ed Frankly that he had told President
Wilson and Secretary McAdoo that a
4 war tax bill framed so near congress
A sional elections will be a bad bill.
t1uman nature is deviliSh weak
ana the pressure of continents in
bound to make a man vote here for
things that do not agree with his best
judgment" said this senator
He pointed out that a congressman
seeking reelection whose constituents
would be heavily taxed under drastic
| EXCESS or war profits levies, would be
/ strongly tempted to vote for low pro-
| fit 4axes and let somebody else pay.