Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-07

for loans to it's co-belligerents.
In the house, Democratic Leader
Kitchin, chairman of the ways and
means committee, explained the
draft of the bill, while hearings on
it were begun by the senate finance
committee. Mr.. Kitchin's explana-
ton was interrupted by adjournment
for the day after his general dis
cussion of the bill and specific refer
ence to the income tax. Beginning
with the excess and war profits le-
vies tomorrow, he expects to devote
all of the session to completing his
statement.
Enactment Next Month Predicted.
With Representative Fordney OF
Michigan, ranking republican COM
nittee member, and others expected
to speak on the bill, indications to-
night were that formal reading OF
the measure section by section tor
amendment would not begin in the
house before Tuesday or Wednes-
day.
Chairma,i Simmons of the senate
finance committee, after hearing Mr..
Kitchin's, statement, said he hoped
the bill could be law by the middle
or last Of October.
"This bill marks an epoch in reve-
nue. legislation OF the world" Mr..
Kitchin told the house. 1T levies
twice as much as any nation since
the beginning of time has tried to
collect from its people"
Hard to Pay, But Necessary.
The taxes, the chairman admitted.
will be hard to pay, but he asserted
they would be borne without injury
to any industry or individual" and
that not a protest against the bill
has been made by American business.
American business, he declared, is
too patriotic, too loyal. too big to
think of shirking the financial bur-
dens of the war.
The war revenue measure, Mr.. Kit
chin declared, is designed to bring
to the government the funds abso-
1utely necessary for the war on Ger
many, places the burden equally and
equitably and the committee hopes
It will meet with the approval of the
administration and the treasury.
"Bit" No Longer Enough.
"These taxes are going to be hard
to pay and hard to bear" Mr.. Kitchin
said, "hut they can be paid and they
will be, and | want every taxpayer
to know that if his burdens are hard
to bear, the burdens of millions of
our boys over there are greater and
harder and they are making greater
sacrifice and making it nobly and
gladly.
"A business man says I am ready
to do my bit. The time has come
when it is not enough to do your bit;
the time has come to do your all.
Every business man and every tax
payer should understand that every
dollar in taxes that he pays under
this bill goes to help this nation save
its life. Sometimes | am ashamed
that we only raise $S000,0O0,00O by
taxes. For the individual and busi-
ness itself are better off than they
we're any time in the pre-war years
have found that go per cent OF the
business men are patriotic and ready
to bear their burden. but they can
afford to bear them and still be bet
ter off than they were in the pre-war
years.
Business Profits Increased.
Business in the three years prior
to 1914 had profits estimated at ST.
O00,OO0,00O. In 1915 they had profits
OF S6,OO0,0O0,OO0. In 1916 they had
profits of more than $8,000,OO0,0OO.
in 1917 after paying all the war taxes
they still had profits 90 per cent
greater than they had in the days
Of peace, and America business after
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