Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-24
SENATE PASSES
GREAT REVENUE
BILL AT NIGHT
Tax Rate on Luxurics Drop
ped from 20 to 10 Per
Cent. Before Adiourning

When the final vote was taken at
1910 o'clock, the Senate had been
in continuous session nearly thirteen
hours. Immediately after the pas
sage of the bill, the Senate began it's
holiday vacation under the plan for
three days recesses until January 2.
Absence of a quorum in the House,
however, had prevented that body
from putting a similar program into
effect.
The revenue bill which had been
before the Senate since December
u, ROW goes to conference with for
NAL meetings of the Senate and
House managers planned to begin
January with view to final enact
ment of the legislation next month.
The Senate conferees appointed
last night were Senators Simmons,
Of North Carolina; Williams, of Mis-
Eissippi. and Smith, Of Georgia, Dem
ocrats, and Senators Penrose, of
Pennsylvania, and Lodge, of Massa-
chusctts Republicans.
III Ter cent. on LuAuilcS
Only few scattering noes from
the Republican side marked the final
vote on the bill The Republicans did
not seek another roll call on the
bilrs provisions fixing 1920 tax rates
and no further votes were taken on
the luxury provisions, reInserted yes
terday with the rate fixed at 10 per
cent instead of 90 per cent.
Senate sustained its previous action
on a final vote of Al to %, the
in approving the committee amend
mcnt to repeal existing zone rates en-
second class mail and substituting p
rate OF one cent a pound within 15O
miles and one and one-halt cents be-
.yond.
Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin,
Republican member of the finance
committee, made n long address TO
the Senate last night in support of
his substitute bill which would raise
more than six billions of dollars,
chiefly through increased rates on
war excess and surtaXes. The Wis
consin Senator said he would take
every dollar of war profit and all
incomes above enough TO enable the
owner of the income to support his
family in comfort.
Biii Rejected, 30 TO 6
Senator La Follettc's substitute
bin was rejected by vote Of 50 70
after the author had spoken for
nearly three hours. Senators Not-
ing for it's adoption were Borah,
GrOnna, Norris Nugent, Nardaman
and la Toilette
Even under his bill. Senator la
q lgr
corporations in prosperous past years
would 90 untouched,
Regarding his plan to increase in
come taxes on the wealthy, Senator
Ia Toilette said.
"MhatavcE may have been the
forces Which caused the present
world war one result Of it must be
apparent to every man of intelligence
and that is that the plain citizen has
come 10 realize his power as never
before and consequently Will assert
his rights as never before.
In order TO raise the money TO
pay the expenses we have incurred,
and are bound 10 incur the govern
mcnt must reach out ana put
heavy hand through its power of tax
alton upon every citizen in the land,
ana ~ 1t be presently discovered that
the hand OF the government bears
HCaNilE ana unJusJiy upon the
masses ana touches only lightly the
rich-In proportion to thciH ability
TO pay-lt viii produce conditions OF
discomfort and resentment not pleas
ant TO contemplate.
Decalr.ng that the countrys eX-
pendltures would be ten or twelve
billion dollars for the next FIVE years,
senator La foiIette said with the
present bill in operation this would
necessitate twenty-five or thirty bill
hons additlonal IN bonds. This, he
SAID, would be truly an appalling
situation.
senator La Toilette insisted that
the American armies would not be
demobilized for many months and
that their maintenance would re-
qu're huge sums.
Calls congress SubscrviCnt
Senator Smith, of Georgia, sug-
gested that under the draft law the
service OF men called to the colors
must end four months after peace is
declared. Senator La Toilette replied