Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-08
CONGRESSMAN MOORES
LETTER
HoiU the Theatrical Mems Raid on
Congress Scored Victory-The
Presidential Signature Prob.
lem in Legislation
Washington. Feb. 8

|
crease in the tax on admissions from one
to two cents on each ten cents charged.
There is a strong suspicion that a former
Philadelphia boy. II S. Robbins. manager
of Keith's Theatre In Washington. had
something to do with this agitation, and
there s no question that Harry T.
Jordan. the Philadelphia representative.
was also In It. What the theatre men did
was to make an appeal to their patrons,
| which they followed up by asking for sig
natures to petitions, which in due course
were forwarded to the conferees on the
revenue bill, piling up in such volume as
TO clog the passageway to the office OF
| Senator Simmons. the chairman. 1t is fair
to the conferees, however. to say that be-
fore this fierce bombardment attained its
full force Of something like six million
signatures 1t had been substan' ally agreed.
to keep the tax on admissions at the old
rate.
MTHAT was done by the theatrical men,
w however, was taken up by numerous
other taxables. who. wherever they were
sufficiently organized. resorted to a similar
system of campaign. In none Of these in
so we'll as 1t did with the theatres. The
matter of admissions was in conference be-
| cause the Senate had made q change Of
rates: but except for one or two items,
| like clothing and dresses the so.called
luxury taxes and some other important
| items were not in dispute between the two
| houses, hence the conferees had no power
! to heed the demand for the elimination of
| these taxes. There is n probability, how
| ever. that the luxury taxes may be dis
| pensed with even after the revenue bill
becomes a law. This must be a matter of
| legislation apart from the bill itself. The
fanfare stirred ub by the theatrical men
! was pursued by the shoe men, headed by
| A. II. Geuting. OF Philadelphia, and the
| jewelry men, whose Philadelphia spokes-
| man was William A. Streeter. 1t was also
| pursued by a large number of trade organi-
| cations and Independent business men, in
cluding some from North Carolina. who
declared their belief that Congress should
| pass no revenue legislation at ALL but
should stand upon such tax laws as now
existed, suggestion which those who have
voted appropriations to carry on the war
could not readily approve.
APROPOS Of the revenue bill, which is
"A expected to raise about $4,000, ,00O, 900,
although President Wilson originally asked
for $4,000, 900 900, a curious question arises
respecting the constitutional requirement
concerning the Presidents signature. 1t is
not the first time the question has arisen,
because in consequence of the Presidents
trip to Europe predictions have been
freely made that constitutional questions
affecting the validity of legislation passed
during his absence may yet arise. The
Secretary of the Treasury is ct his wits
ends to know what to do about income
tax blanks and other forms which business
men and corporations as well as individual
taxpayers, n ust fill up for the year 1918, as
provided in the revenue bill For a time
| bills passed by the two houses and signed
| by Vice President Marshall and Speaker
! Clark were carried to the White House
| and left in the custody Of the official there,
who receipted for them. They were then
supposed to be put upon fast steamers
| that the President might obtain them for
| signature or veto within the prescribed
| ten days. Apparently some Of them have
| been getting to the President, but the tre-
| mendous interests, public and private, In.
| volved in the revenue bill have given
| great concern all along the line. II the
| Treasury Department proceeds with its
| vast, collection program after Congress
| passes the BILL but before It is known that
| the President has received 1t. the adminis-
trative machinery may be thrown wholly
out of gear. Anything may happen before
the 4th Of March; but If there should be
| misfre on the revenue bill the result
| would be disastrous.
| ALMOST everybody believes that the
| "A Treasury Department. can safely go
ahead with tax-collecting plans before the
| President gets the bill but, was observed
| at an informal meeting Of conferees, 1t could
| happen II the bill were sent over on one
| ship to catch the President in France that
| It might cross the President coming home
for his address to Congress- or the ship
| might go down. The situation as II was
viewed in Washington in the earlier part
of the weeA was certainly perplexing one.
although 1t is probably not unfair to that
new and increasing group OF persons who,
now that the war is over. have no particu-
lar interest in paying for the war, to OBJ
serve that they at least would probably
heaye a sigh Of relief II the bill never
reached The President at all. In this con-
nection it is somewhat illuminating to
quote Mr.. Sherley, the chairman OF the
Appropriations Committee. who states that
our war expenditures are still running at
the rate OF about 3l,soo,ooo,coo per month.
At that rate the troublesome revenue bill,
II 1t raises $4,000. 100000. as predicted.
would carry us less than four months And
yet this great bill has been under consider
alton now for nearly ten months, having
kept the Ways and Means Committee in
session all OF last GUNNER. 1t is no wonder
that Senator Penrose who was one of the
active conferees, had to use up his Sun
days in Washington to catch up with