The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-06-19
SEMI-LUXURY TAX
HAS NO FRIENDS
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CON-
MiTTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY
FOR ITS REPEAL.
BOTH PARTIES SEEK RELIEF
Huge Sum Must Be Raised BY Varl-
Gus Methods, but Congress Intends
% Make the Burden as Light as
'ossibie.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK.

|
the house committee on ways and
means has been unanimous on a pr0po-
sltlon. There was no partnership, TO
the remotest degree of kinship, in the
vote on the report calling for the re-
peal of the so-called semi-luXury taxes
In the war revenue bill. Unanmity
had 1t as Republican and Democratic
members of the committee vociferously
voted aye"
1t is tho rarest kind of a thing to
secure unanimity In voting in house
committee, let alone securing it in the
house itself. Patriotic Americans re-
member with chagrin and shame that
even the war resolutions received
| some adverse votes, cast by men who
did not think the rights of their coun-
try were worth unfolding. BY way Of
diversion 1t may be said that some Of
these unpatriotic voters still hold office
In congress.
1t seems probable that unanimity In
voting will break records during the
| present session Of congress. Both
| parties seem determined to get rid Of
| certain forms of taxation which weigh
heavily on the purse of the individuals.
| OF course 1t may be necessary to d.
vert the taxes so that they may be
| raised by other methods, but with the
| rapidly decreasing expenses of gov
eminent it appears to be likely that
many levies now can be eliminated and
no requirements made.
Much Revenue Must Be Raised.
The United States government has
a big war debt. Congress Is now study
| ing out ways and means of financing
IT.. 1t is probable that shortly an at
| tempt will be made to put In several
defntve measures, one of which may
| be adequate when enacted into law
to meet the financial situation. The
| leaders of the house are studying va
rious plans, some of them of Repub-
lican and some of them of Democratic
origin. In questions Of finance men,
are not averse to consulting members
of the minority, for good financial
| heads in the United States admittedly
are so few that no chance to get So
luton Of monetary problem Is let
| slip.
1t was not many years ago that In
terms purposely exaggerated a member
of congress, sneering at the opposition
| party, said that unless they took care
they would make a billion dollar con-
| gress of It, That remark was taken
| as the height Of eXaggeratiOn and of
absurdty, but not many years went by
before the country not only had bill
| lion dollar congresses, but billion dol
lar sessions, and this was in the days
of peace.
Just how long It is going to take to
paw off the national debt no one, of
course, can determine The best that
| the legislators can do is to guess at it.
| 1t has been said that perhaps 1t can
be reduced Mt the rate of a billion dol
| lars a year, but this to most of the
legislators apparently seems imposs-
| BILE, unless the intention Is to levy high
err taxes than perhaps Is justfiable.
| The United States owes about $30000,-
| 100000
Within few days 1t has been estl-
mated that 1t may be possible to keep
the actual expenses Of the United
States government at a figure a little
below $3000,000,000 year If this
| can be done 1t may be, legislators
think, that the debt incurred by the
war can be paid off ut billion dol
lar rate annually, but 1t is admitted
that the governments expenses are
likely to run higher than the estl-
mate.
congressman Not Lazy
Whatever else may be said by the
flippant. the caustlc and the critical
generally about members Of congress-
no man rightly can charge the indlvid-
uals of that body with laziness. OF
course there is an occasional lazy man
In congress, as there IS In every other
vocation In life, but If congressman
wants to keep his seat he has to work
Americans who think of their con-
gressmen as men who come to Wash
ingtOn to sit In the senate or the house
for four or five hours each day discuss
ing carefully the affairs of state, then
to 90 home to the family fireside to
dine, thence to the theater, and thence
to bed for roseate Dreams have not
vlsuallzed the situation with frac-
tlonal part OF correctness.
The smallest part of the work which
national legislator does is performed
on the floor of the house to which he
happens to belong. The solid truth is
that large part Of the actual business
OF the house and senate is carried on
In the absence of quorums Leaders
OF both parties are left on guard. and
, If anything is going to break members
! Instantly are summoned to their tasks
, Of duty but more than one-half of the
time the members of the two houses
are In their Office rooms working either
, In behalf Of their local constituents OF
In behalf Of measures intended to af
/ feet the entire constituent body OF the
3. United States.
/ Live Member Has Lots to Do.
The day OF a member of the house
who halls from live, up-to-date dis