The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-07
REVENUE BILLS
TOTAL NOW IS
$5,953,466,OOO
Committee Sends Mutilated
and Belated House Meas
ure to Senate.
SPEEDY ACTION Is ASKED
La Toilette and SmOOt Follow
PenrOse in the List of
Dissentcrs.
Specid, Despatch to ThE Sun.

Hpecldt DcSputcH 10 Ahh bUN.
WASHINGTON, Dec 6.-The revenue
blll, seven months in preparation thus
far despite the repeated pleas of the
Treasury Department for haste, was
finally reported to the Senate to-day
br the Finance Committee.
The bill was scarcely recognizable
ms the Kitchin measure passed by the
House two and half months ago.
The House bill was drawn while the
war was at its height. with no sug-
gestion Of immediate peace in sight,
and was therefore designed to raise
little more than $s,OOO 100000. Now
Il is designed to provide S5,953, ,466,-
900 for this fiscal year and $4,000
100000 for the next and succeeding
fiscal years.
The Senate is scheduled to take up
the measure when II meets again on
Tuesday. Republicans are strongly OPP
posed TO the feature which iDcor-
porates next years taxes in this years
bill and a long. bitter fight is ex-
pected.
simmons Appeals for speed.
Aware Of this. Chairman Simmons
IN c. made this plea to the Senate:
II am advised. by the Commissioner
OF Internal Refenue that II will be
necessary to begin the preparation Of
The forms by January ! so as to fix
the returns on the date provided in
the bill, which is February is. He
stated also that 1t would be particu-
larly dangerous TO delay the beginning
Of that preparation until January Is.
These forms have TO be provided
and there is considerable difficulty in
their preparation. They have to be
printed and circulated. 1t is necessary
elso to train many experts TO go out
in all districts OF the country for. the
purpose of explaining 10 taxpayers
the methods OF calculations and COM
rutations in order 10 facilitate the re-
turns and enable taxpayers to prepare
them in time to file them as provided
ly law.
''The present law and also the pend
ing bill each contain a provision which
would authorize and enable the Com
missioner of Internal Revenue to ex-
tend the time of fling these returns
FOR one month. That was done last
year when 1t was found practically
impossible after the present law had
ben passed TO prepare the forms in
time.
Z The Commissioner exercised that
power and extended the time for maxi
Ing the returns TO April IL. He can
this year do the same thing. That
would, however, extend the time for
the payment Of the first instalment Of
such taxes on the 18th day Of March.
The calculations of the Secretary
OF the Treasury I understand in max
ing his arrangement for issuing GER
tain certificates of indebtedness
against these instalments have been
made with a view to the first nav
fnents being made on March 10.
Difhculty Is Confronted.
Thai has raised difficulty that is
TOT lnsurmountable. 1t merely REQUIRES
some readjustment and would in
Noive some inconvenience and all that
sort of thing. but II is possible that
can be done. If that Is done and
the bill should pass by February /
NOT later than the 18th at the out
tIde-it would be possible to collect
'hese taxes under the law. The Com
missioner stated, however, that to be
on the safe side he ought to be max
ing preliminary arrangements and
Preparations with view TO collecting
taNes under the present law and NOT
spending more money sthan is abso-
Iltely necessary for him to have the
work in proper condition in case we
should not pass this bill by the first
cay Of February"
Senator Smith (AIich.) inquired
whether it was necessary that the bill
should be approved by the President
petore the middle of next month. I'm
order to enable the Commissioner 10
get out the necessary forms-in other
words whether the absence of the
PRESIDENT would interfere with the ad-
ministratlon of the law.
senator Simmons replied that he
. old not think SO. that the Commits
t'oner Is In a limited way getting
ready to prepare forms under the
present law If the pending bill Is not
passed.
La Toilette and smoot Dissent.
Senator La Toilette (Wis.) and
senator Smoot CUtah) gave notice
mat each will file special dissenting
report in addition to the minority re-
port which Senator Penrose (Pa.) will
make on behalf of the Republican n
members Senator La Toilette said
ms report would be very brief. Sena-
tpr Smoot explained that his report
viii express his views regarding what
profits should be taxed instead of the
committee plan Of taxing war and
excess profits.
great many technical changes ir
oennitons are made In the Senate
committees revision OF the measure
The whole schedule of surtaxes or
personal incomes drawn up by the
rouse was thrown out by the Senate
finance Committee and a new set oI
rates adopted in It's stead. The Hous,
rates began at per cent. OF the
tmOunf hv xx,tatnh Aha .,a& lanaxn. -,