The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-11-18
CONGRESS TALKS.
OF SHORT RECESS

Leaders OF the Senate and House
are talking over plans for. a short ad-
journment Of Congress before taking
up the work Of the short session.
which win meet two weeks hence.
The session now in progress is the
second one OF the war, Congress, a
Congress which has put through a
record Of legislative achievement un-
paralleIed in this country. In the
short session. which viii begin the
first Monday in December. it will take
up. though IL cannot begin to finish,
the momentous problems Of peace.
The revenue bill. because Of the de-
cision of Secretary McAdoo to recon-
mend a reduction to $500, OOo. 900. will be
subjected to some revision and there Is
little prospect now that the Senate will
be able to do much with It before the
short session opens. The. Finance Com
mittee does not yet know when Il can
report It It has a week of work on
the bill yet and perhaps more. The
committee is endeayoring to cut out
some Of the proposed taxes which, II
levied. would be sure to cause pHblic
annoyance. Difference OF opinion OBJ
tains in committee as to which should
be eliminated
Bank Cheek Tax to Go.
The proposed tax on bank checks,
which has been much opposed from
the first, win be eliminated, either by
the committee or at a later stage.
Gasoline and automobile taxes are
Cdr1fnor - oh nd af-
forts will be made to reduce them IL
they cannot be eliminated.
On the other hand. all attempts 70
lower the taxes on the corporations,
whether corporation income taxes or
excess and war profits taxes, will be
met with bitter objections, especially
from progressive Republicans and
progressive Democrats in the Senate.
What action Congress finally takes
on the "bone dry" amendment to the
food production bill, which is sched-
uled to come up in the Senate today,
will have a bearing on the revenue
measure. II wartime prohibition
fails, 1t will mean large additions to.
the revenue. The drys say It will not
fail. Should 1t become law, however,
1t is uncertain how long II will be in
effect because the pending amendment
lasts until Rehabilitation.
Oppose 1890 Tax Fixing.
Objection in the Finance Commit
tee to the McAdoo plan of fixing 1920
taxes at this time will serve to hold
back. committee action on the pend
ing bill. Republicans don't like this
idea and are fighting 1t.
The ancient practice OF grabbing
mileage allowance hasn't been wiped
out by the war. 1t Is because of the
desire to obtain mileage allowance
that some OF the members are now
maneuvering to have an adjournment
some days in advance of the opening
Of the short session. They don't
want the two sessions to merge and
want to avoid a recess that would be
looked on as constructive. In the
next few days a definite decision
about adjournment will be reached.
One reason advanced for adjourn
ment by the leaders is that the vari-
ous Government departments, with
peace arrived suddenly. are up in the
air over their plans and their need
for appropria8Lshsss st is pointed out
that by the frst d the coming month
they will have. had time TO get their
bearings much more accurately than
now.
The House Appropriations Commit
tee, which is trying to begin work on
some OF the appropriation bills, finds
itself confronted by the job OF bring
ing order out OF something approach
ing chaos