Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-11-26
PARTISAN WAR
OVER TAX Bill.
DEMOCRATS ATTEMPT TO De
REPUBLICANS TO 1870
REVENUE LAW.
COMMITTEE VOTES TO PASS
FOUR BILLION MEASURE
Will Try to Put Appropriation Dill
Thru Before Republicans Come Into
Control Of Next consrsss-osadloek
Possible and Legislation at Winter
Session May De Blocked.

Washington, NOT. 26.-By a strict
party vote the senate finance commit
tee adopted the treasury departments
proposal to include in the pending
revenue bill the tax program for 1920.
The 1920 tax program, as adopted
by the committee today, calls for
81 ,000, 000, 900 revenue, reduction of
$1,000, OO0, 900 from the amount to be
raised by taxation under the pending
measure for 1919.
The action Of the, committee con-
stitates an open declaration of war
between the republicans and the dem
ocrats of the senate with regard to the
revenue question. It may result in
the complete blocking of all revenue
legislation at the next session Of con-
greSs.
First Partisan Move.
Heretofore partisanship has been
almost wholly absent from the franz
ing of the revenue program. Repub-
licans and democrats of the house
ways and means committee united in
a unanimous report when they recon-
mended it to the house last September.
The measure passed the house prac-
tically without opposition.
Republican senators declared frank
ly today that they would do everything
in their power to prevent passage OF
the bill as long as it contains the 1920
tax program. Whether this means
that they viii resort to filibuster on
the floor of the senate remains to be
determined by developments after the
converting Of congress next week. No
extremely obstinate obstruction would
be necessary to block action on the
bill until March 4, when the republic
cans take control.
McAdoo's Explanation.
The republicans, of course, will CEN
ter their fire at the beginning upon
the 1920 program, They have no seri-
Gus objection to anything else in the
bill. But. failing to force the elimina..
ton of the 1920 program, they will
then resort to every means to get
control of the senate machinery.
The proposal to include the 1920 tax
program in this years revenue bill
was put forward by Secretary of the
Treasury McAdoo on the ground that
it was necessary to insure business
stability thru the readjustment period
following the cessation of hostilities.
Taxpayers should know at the earliest
possible date how much they w0ulc be
required to pay into the federal treas
ury in 1920 in order that they might
make arrangements accordingly, he
argued.
To Stall OF Extra Session.
Senator Simmons Of North Caro-
lima, chairman Of the finance commit
tee, in explaining the adoption of the
proposal today. declared it probable
that there would be no extra session
of congress after March 4, in which
case the 1920 tax program would
have to remain undecided until the
Sixty-sixth congress convenes in De-
cember, 1919. This. he said, would
not allow sufficient time for the coun-
try to prepare for the 1920 taxes un-
til they were actually due.
Republican members of the finance
committee pooh-poohed the suggestion
that there would be no extra session
and insisted that it would not be
avoided. They openly charged that
the attempt to settle the 1920 tax pro-
gram now was part of the demo-
cratic scheme to obviate the necessity
for an extra session and prevent the
republicans from taking control OF
congress until December, 1919. Such
scheming would prove futile, they
predicted.
Would Be Based on Guesses.
Senator Penrose, of Pennsylvania,
the ranking republican member Of the
finance committee, declared that the
attelnnt to fix the 1920 taxes now was
not only unnecessary but most un-
wise. The republicans would have
ample time after March to frame
new revenue bill for 1920, he said.
The secretary of the treasury. SEN
ator Penrose said, has furnished the
finance committee with no estimates
of probable expenditures in 1920
which can be viewed as anything more
than guesses. The senator pointed out
that il was NEST unwise to attempt to
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