New-York tribune., 1919-05-19
semi.luxury Tax Repeal
Will Be Passed at Once

The Finance Committee of the Sen.
.+s and the Ways and Means Commit.
tee of the House were pledged wher
tbsv reported the revenue bill in the
last Congress to repeal the semi-luxury
tar provision of the law. This is the
section that taxes the excess prices OF
csrtain articles of clothing and per,
sonsl use. Parliamentary rules made
Il mpossibe to take this section out
of the revenue bill at that stage of its
massage when opinion had become
unanimous against it, hence the i'm
mediate recourse to repeal. Lack Of
time prevented the honoring of the
nledge before March 4, noon, and it now
is the intention to fulfil it immedi-
stelv. In popular discussions the soft
drinks section Of the law is considered
luxury tax, and this, as we'll as some
other petty excise taxes, may be re-
pealed, though there was no pledge to
that effect The Internal Revenue
Bureau strongly favors the repeal of
both the semi-luxury and the soft
drinks tax provisions.
The next urgency measure will be
that of provision for the immediate
needs of the railways, which will in
'volve the appropriation of about $780,
00O,000-and perhaps more.
Having disposed of these four items
OF urgency egislation-vis.. the appro-
priation bills. the return of the tele-
phone and telegraph lines, the repeal
OF the luxury taxes and financing the
railways, Congress will be free to
browse at will in the Legislative past
ures, which are densely covered with
food for laws.
Woman suffrage will be taken I'D
early and rushed through the House in
hurry and now that Senators Harris.
OF Georgia, and Keyes, Of New Hamp-
shire, have declared for women. the
measure is expected at last to go
through the Senate without much de-
lay.
Shipping and shipbuilding will ne
cessariy occupy much of CONGRESSES
time. Now that the war is over, but
the riveters are still riveting, ship
building is the greatest single national
expenditure. To carry out the pro-
gramme IN its lowest possible terms
Will require additional appropriations
aggregating about s10OO,O00 900. Con-
gress will want to know IN the greatest
detaii just how the money is to be
spent and will have lot to say about
row that is to be done. The Shipping
Board Is preparing a statement of lust
What 1t intends to do in the light Of
present conditions and will ask Con-
gress to lndorse its programme, or, if
1t doesn't like it, lay down one of its
own incidentally, Wholesale investiga-
tons Of shipbuilding from the yards
IN china and Japan to those in Maine
is to be undertaken.
Congress will have to act at this ses-
sion IN regard to the future of shipping
as well as Of shipbuilding. Under the
law the President is the chief ship
bulidcr and operator. Congress turned
.ne money and the authority over to
hlm' de chose the Shipping Board and
sae emergency Fleet Corporation as
ais agents, hut his emergency author
~ ends six months after peace is
sighed and MS agents then will have to
cease their work unless Congress has
acted In the mean time. This being the
'isuation, Congress may reorganize the
*noie shipbuilding and operating in
ss..fumentality. 1t even may abolish the
'A'pping Board and create a new ex-
ecaswe department. AS to the future
0i Inc nationally owned ships, Con-
sfess probably will decide at this ses-
sioa Tor or against continued govern
mch' ownership. Many members of
s'hsfess, who are on principle opposed
" government ownership, think that
s0alihued government ownership and
operation Of the feet is the easiest
sOn-lon OF the problem Of keeping the
.,'is''can =, nag on the seas. They are of
'ne opinion that some form of govern
mental assistance will be necessary for
private operation in any event, SO they
s .a.nk that the nation might as we'll
.A's a 1888 first az last and continue to
upsia'e the great feet that the fort
@"ss OF war have given it.