The Dermott news., 1919-06-19
SEM|,,LUXURY TAX
 HAS NJ FRIENDS
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COM MlTTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY
 FOR ITS REPEAL.
BOTH PARTIES SEEK RELIEF
Huge Sum Must Be Raised by vari- ous Methods, but Congress Intends 10 Make the Burden as Light as Possible
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

Washington.-FOr once in a lifetime the house committee on ways and means has been unanimous on propo- sftion. 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 semt-luxury taxes In the war revenue bill. tnanlmity had II as Republican and Democratic members Of the committee vocifcrously voted aye
 II is the rareSt kind of thing to secure unanimity in voting in n house committee. let alone securing It in the house itself. Patriotic Americans re- member with chacrn and shame that l even the war resolutions received some adverse votes. cast by men who l did not think the rights of their coun- try were worth upholding. Ky way of diversion it may be said that some of these unpatrtotic voters still hold office in congress.
 It seems probable that unanlmity in voting will break records during the present session of congress. Both parties seem determined to get rid of certain forms of taxntion which weigh heavily on the purse of the individuals. Of course II may he necessary to al vert the taxes so that they may be raised by other methods. but with the rapidly decreasing expenses of gov crnment II appears to he likely that many levies now can be eliminated aIsi no rpplaccmentS made
 Much Revenue Must Be Raised
 The United StateS government has q big war debt Congress is now study Ing ouJ ways and means of financing r. II iS probable that shortly an at- tempt will he made To put in several detinifivc meaSures, one of which may be adequate when enacted into law to meet the financial situation. The leaders of tbr house are studying VA riouS plans some of them of Rcpuh- iican Snd some of them If Democratic origin Tn quc~ttonS of finance mem h"rS of majority party in congress are aat averse ta consulting members ef the minority for good financial heads ia tbF United States admittedly arc >a few ih3t Ha chance to get a >a- 'ntton of meuetarN problem Is let slip.
 It saS Hat mauy Ncars ago that in terms purpo~e1y cNas2gralrd a member of congress. >nrcriuc at n" opposition party. suid th1t uuic~> rboy took care they would make hltiau dotiar can= 1resS of it That remark Wa> taken
 ,1 ah~nrlitf. tut not mauy years Weut hy before the country nos euly had htl Hon dollar congresses, but billion dnl. lar se>s5ous, and this was in the days ot peace.
 Jus; how long t k going to take to pay on inc national debt m one. "f course can determine The heS, that thc legislators can do k fe guess at fl. T. has been said that perhaps II can he reduced at the rate of billion dol. lars q year. but this to most of the legislators apparently seems impn>si- hlc, unless the intention k to levy high. CT taxes than perhaps k juSuliahle. The United States owes about >5ooe1. 1 ppO OOa
 Within q few daYs it las heaa e>ti- mated that f may be possible to keep l the actual expenses of the unIted ! States government at q figure Il little l below S3. .O0o.u 100000 year If this can be done Ii may be. legislators l think. that the debt incurred by the war can he paid off at A billion dol. lar rate annually. but II is admitted that the governments expenses are i likely to run higher than the esti mate
 Congresemen Not laxy
 Whatever else may he said hy tho i lippant. th-' caustlc and the critical generally about members of congress. no man rightly can charge the individ- ualS of that body with lazneSS. of course there Is an occasional lazy man in congress. aS there Is in every other I 4 "