River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-07-14
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
(From James A. Frear, Nj. CD

Throughout the present week the
tariff bill will continue to hold the
right of way. General debate by
Republicans and Democrats has been
addressed to various phases of the
bill. There is much in the bill to
commend, although parts of it, in
Guiding especially the dye schedule
have aroused opposition. A Republic
can conference last week at which
over two hundred members were pres
ent witnessed contest between Mr..
Longworth favoring the dye proposal
and the writer against it. On show
ing of hands over half of the RepuD-
lican membership insisted that sep
arate vote should be had, thus favor
ing the writer's position. When the
bill is reached under the five minute
rule during the latter part of this
week arguments on this particular
provision of the bill and vote Will
be had by the committee as whole.
a new factor in the tariff bill relates
to American valuation that requires
duties to be levied on all articles I'M
ported. based on the value in this
country rather than the value abroad
which has heretofore governed IN the
preparation of tariff bills. 1t was the
only possible way to frame bill fair
Nv under existing business conditions
throughout the world Lines have
been sharply drawn by those who fav-
or lower duties than will be imposed
by the bill under the American yalua-
ton plan.
:, An organized movement to prevent
the passage of the soldiers bcnus has
manifested itself since announcement
by the Senate committee that a SOL
dier's compensation act would be pass
ed at this session of Congress. The
bill was reported in the Senate but
Secretary of the Treasury Mellon mas
given a statement to the press claim
ing that this is no time in which TO
grant such compensation and strong
pressure has been brought to prevent
the bill reaching any further stage IN
the Senate. A compensation bill for
soldiers is conceded must carry a
large appropriation that will mean a
tax burden on the country, but &c may
be significant that those who have
been urging upon Congress naval
bill reaching nearly five million dol
lars and an army bill of practically
four hundred million dollars In times
of peace generally find themselves
opposed to soldiers compensation
bill. Without discussing the merits
of the proposition which mas been
before Congress heretofore and III
which the four-fold plan agreed upon
by the ex-soldiers, the burden upon
the treasury is estimated to be far
less the first year than what we are
appropriating for the navy this year,
and in subsequent years 1T would
continue to diminish, whereas interest
on foreign loans, if collected, it is es-
timated would meet every demand
growing out of soldiers compensa-
ton bill. Among the men who are OPP
posed to the bill, it is hard to find any
who were taken by Congress and plac-
ed in the army at a dollar day to
defend their country's cause. The
matter is now in the Senate while the
tariff bill is before the House.
Last week the Treasury Depart
ment proposed to advance to the rail-
roads five hundred million dollars in
settlement of what it termed "war
time liability"
Various reports regarding excess
profits tax and income tax law as re-
venue producers have been current.
In report just furnished by the Fed
eral treasury it appears that for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1921, tot
al tax receipts were S4,593, 933, 248 of
which $3,212,713,489 were derived
from income and excess profits taxes
In other words three fourths of the
revenues received by the government
were derived from income and excess
profits taxes. OF this amount Wis
consin furnished S73, 724.337 while the
contribution of New York state reach
ed over one billion dollars. 1t is GER
tain that large part of the income
and excess profits tax receipts were
back taxes found to have been omitted
or underpaid in the past, yet in view
of the condition of the public treas
ury it is a serious problem for those
who are confronted with raising rev.
enues to receive demands from differ
ent parts of the country that Con-
gress repeal the act and substitute
a turnover sales tax to be levied on
everything we eat, drink and wear.
At the conclusion of the tariff dis