The sun., 1918-05-29
KITCHIN SEES
TAX BILL PLOT
BY PUBLISHERS
Charges New Measure Was
Instigated to Change
Postal Rates.
TIEUP Is PROPHESIED
Leader Says Press Lobby In
Auenced Some Man in Nc
Adoo's Confidence.
TIEUP IS PROPHESIED

Spoctol DGsp6scA 20 T1B Sur.
WAsHrNoToN. May 2s.-Alleging tfat
b .rublishsrs' lobby" largely 10 respon.
sibss for . revenue bill at this session Of
Congress and intends to tie up the forth
coming measure in conference so that
ths Administration finally will agree to
A0odincation Of the second class postal
Foeo provisions Of tho present law. Rep
rsesutativs Kitchln. the Democratic
hesr leader. delivered an impassioned
speech IN the House to-day.
II vas Mr.. Kitct ms fnal protest
aSalnSt tho Administration mandate for
. revenue bill. Tomorrow he will call
the Ways and Means COMMITTEES to-
gsthsr for informal discussion Of the
nsw tax bill.
Mr.. Kitchin said he did not charge
At the Secretary Of the Treasury or
any other high ohcial was directly in
husnced by the newspaper agitation"
for . revenue bill. but that the lobby
had Influenced some one in whom the
Secretary Of the Treasury had conn.,
dencS.
Il know their game" shouted Repre-
sentative Kitcf In. amid applause which
came principally from the Democra attic
side. Mr.. Kitchin added that II he is
made one Of the conferees on the revenue
bill-as ne undoubtedly will be-he
change in the postal Atss.
The game" Of TIE publishers accord
ing to Mr.. Kitohin. 10 to get an amend
ment to the postal laws In the Senate.
tie lip the bill IN conference and finally
win out because the President and Sec
retary McAdoo probably will refuse to
have the revenue bill longer postponed
by reason Of the postal row.
Influencs IL Charged.
II do not think" Mr.. Kitchin ex-
planned. ''that Secretary McAdoo thought
about the press. the newspapers and
magazines ono way o. the other. How
ever, I do believe that away back. hid
den somewhere. unseen by most Of US.
there was an influence Of one of the
shrewdest and most powerful lobbies
that ever infested the corridors of the
which made itself felt with some In
whose Judgment the Secretary of the
Treasury had great faith.
II know that such a lobby has been
maintained here by the big publishers.
Its committee has had interviews with
me. 1t was determined by the publish.
ers In the first session that the session
should not close until they had q chance
10 put to a vote in Congress either the
question Of a repeal or a modification or
a suspension Of the operation Of the pos
,P hA
Representative Kitchin expressed him
self as still unconvinced as to the neces-
sity Of revenue bill at this session.
However, he said the President as
commander in chief had spoken and
Congress must obey. because recalct-
trancy would be exaggerated among the
enemies OF the country and especially In
Germany The Democratic floor leader
explained at length the reason for his
earlier promises to Democrats and Re
publicans alike that there would be no
revenue bill at this session and the non-
partisan plans made for adjournment by
July L. He expressed regret that the
Treasury most unexpectedly changed
front and that Congress first heard Of
this change through the medium OF the
press.
kitchin First Asked for New Bill.
Mr.. Ktchin. who spoke by unanimous
consent in accordance with permission
granted by the House after the PreM-
dents message yesterday. said In part:
After returning to Washington after
the holidays ! talked with officials Of tho
Treasury Department, with the Secre-
tary and others. and insisted that a part
- this sessions programme should be
the enactment Of a new revenue meas
ure. When Mr.. Burleson brought to me
the Presidents programme for the ses-
son fnding that 1t did not include any
Burleson that the President should in
clude as part OF this sessions pro-
r'smTc TAX measure.
i Insisted upon and talked with the
treasury officials. including Mr.. Nc
Adoo. about the necessity Of revenue
measure ut this session as late as March
10, thought 1t would be wiser and
better = we were to have tax legisla-
ton AT this session that We should begin
u In the early part OF the session 10 that
we could get 1t behind US and upon the
t,aiut" books before the hot summer
days. Then the people would have suf-
nc'ent time to understand II. to approve
or dsapprove. Those favoring would
nave opportunity to defend before their
people their position on II.
Finding that It was not the policy