The Washington times., 1921-11-30

Visit Of Congressional Party
Studying Sales Tax Hailed
A Link In Amity.
By JOHN K. WiNKLER.
Cuavsrsal eSYviee.

MONTREAL, Nov. 30.--Never in
thu hundred-year history Of the
Montreal board Of trade has such
IN event graced Its honorable and
ancient han ar when YESTERDAY
afternoon, forty-seven American
Congressmen, guests OF William
Randolph Hearst, were entertained
at luncheon.
Hundreds There. 81
Several hundred socis, and economic
leaders Of the greatest city in Canada
sat about the tables with the Wash
ington leaders who are in Canada tc
study the operation Of the Dominion
sales tax.
While the Americans from both
sides OF the border were mingltns
jovially In Exchange Hall, Senator
Lorne c. Webster. president Of the
Board Of Trade, introduced Sir Harry
Lauder. After the singing Lauder
spoke, saying:
when I was a lad in the coal mines
I drove a porr. and sometimes the
coupling broke when / carried two
tubs of coal. After a while some one
and I was happy.
so. to my mind this meeting today
is q coupling. Americans and Cana
dians are coupling up. II 10 just In
Its infancy. hope it'll grow with
the ages. and that this coupling will
expand as the years 80 by"
Canada Yearning for Fellowship.
In the wealth of entertainment that
10 being offered the Hearst party In
Canada. II becomes apparent that
Canada 10 yearning for fellowship with
the United States.
Gathered At the Board of Trade
luncheon was almost every man of
importance in a business and political
sense in Montreal. Speaking on the
sales tax question, Senator Webster
president of the Board Of Trade, said:
Careful consideration Of what ID
known as the general turnover tax
has led us to urge upon the federal
government the abrogation of a mum.
Der OF business taxes, including the
sales tax. and adopt instead the gen.
eral turnover tax.
I'm our opinion the general turn.
over tax 10 simpler to administer than
the sales tax and would yield a much
greater revenue without resulting In
as large an increase in the retail
selling price of commodities"
DIR. Lester d. Volk. chairman of
the delegation; Congressman Roy
Fitzgerald, Of Ohio, and Congressman
James B. Strong, of Kansas, spoke
briefly. Chairman Volk said:
THAT there ia something radically
wrong with our system Of taxation
may be inferred from the fact that
hn nj IN swA.
income tax fell off fifteen per cent,
or ss12.57s, ,4so, during the fiscal year
of 1921.
Our business men complain Of the
administration Of our income tax be-
cause 1t Is not a current levy, but a
levy paid in the year succeeding that
in which net returns are balanced
for taxation purposes.
Business ID Penalized.
Excess profits taxes, surtaxes and
levfes upon big business which served
as a means OF great income during
war prosperity have now fallen off
to degree where they penalize bus
mess and fail of revenue.
"In this dilemma we appeal to you
business men Of Canada to enlighten
us on your methods Of sales taxation,
which we are told can be administer.
ed at a cost far smaller than that
nscessitated by our oSvn tax laws,
and which, We have been told, pro.
vides a steady current monthly rev
enue without embodyins the many
Objectionable features entailed In di.
rect tax levy"
Mr.. Hearst's guests spent YESTERDAY y
morning interviewing Montreal busl-
ness men on the operations of the
sales tax. They talked over their
impressions informally ut a banquet