Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-14
FORMULATE TARIFF .
AND DTAXPR0CRAM
Congressman Meet With Mellon
to Draft Plan--Differ on
Precedence
WATSON FOR SALES TAX
Ry the Associnted Press


Washington, March 4.--Formulatior
Of definite program for tariff and in
tcrnal revenue legislation confronted
Republican members Of the Senate
finance committee and the House ways
and means committee today on meeting
with Secretary Of the Treasury Mellon
to draft detailed recommendations to be
submitted 10 President Harding.
Whether enactment Of stop gap
emergency tariff measure should be given
precedence over revenue legislation was
one Of the questions to be decided. Al =
though the Republican members OF both
committees were known to hold diver :.
gent views oh this point. the drift OF
sentiment appeared to favor an attempt
to put through as speedily as possible
after converting of Congress in April q
new emergency tariff measure for the
protection of agricultural interests
Senator Pcnrose, chairman OF the
finance committee, has expressed the
opinion that such measure could be
passed in short time IL more closely lin :
tied In its schedule than was the
Fordney bill vetoed by former President
Wilson.
Would Ewd Excess Profits Taxes
Enactment Of tax legislation ahead
of tariff revision was advocated in n
statement by Senator Watson, of In
diana. Republican member of the
finance committee. He also declared
for repeal of the excess profit taxes and
the higher surfaces and substitution OF
"a moderate sales tax"
4 budget law and arrangements for
payment by the Allies Of definite
amount Of their debt each year also
were urged by the senator.
THE business world expects imme =
diatc relief from the great burden OF
taxation now imposed upon it," said
Senator Watson. ''and it is the first
duty of the Republican party to meet
this expectation.
Senator Watson said was unwise
to attempt to pass temporary tariff
measure based on the Payne Aldrich
or the Dingley or the Mckinley law.
None of them is applicable to the
existing situation" he said "and to
attempt to make any Of them 20 would
be to enter upon the enactment of a
complete tariff law on the floor of the
Senate virtually without previous con-
sidcration by any committee.
Tariff Legislation Disturbing
"Wc should settle the question OF
taxation first and then determine as
nearly rs possible the amount Of revc-
nue. to be thus derived and then we can
determine precisely how mach we must
raise by import taxes.
Nothing Is more disturbing to bust
ness than tariff legislation, and it would
not be possible for us to pass a tenn
porary measure and permanent meas
urc under nine months and during this
period the financial and industrial in
tcrests of the country would continue
to be disturbed and distressed, whereas
they are entitled to a period Of rcpose
and to something like certainty in leg =
islation and governmental policies"
with a definite agreement reached on
the program to be followed, both Sen
ate and House committees planned Ia
begin work probably this week on the
fiscal legislation for the April session,
the latter undertaking the draft of the
first bill TO be introduced Immediately
upon the converting of Congress.