Show TAX JAX ON COFFEE AFTER ALL The absolute dishonesty of the Payne bill can be proven by any number of expert witnesses both Republican and Democratic The minority report on the measure calls attention to the fact that while the proposed duty dut on coffee was omitted so far as levying a direct tax is concerned the Re Republican Republican publican members of the ways and means committee have hae attempted to ac accomplish accomplish accomplish their purpose In a sneaking and indirect manner which thich is entirely characteristic of their methods A duty dut duton on coffee cortee could not possibly produce any revenue for a couple of years but would enable the holders of vast stocks to pile up upa a few tew atthe expense of the people of the country the bur burden burden burden den falling upon those least able to tl stand It So It was decided deci ed to declare coffee free and at the same time ar arrange arrange arrange range for a duty of 5 cents per pound How Hov this was as accomplished is told con concisely concisely concisely by b the Chicago Tribune which backs up the report of the Democratic minority In congress in every particular in this particular matter The Committee has boon been inveigled into int an attempt to do indirectly what it deemed It inexpedient to do directly that is iI to tomake tomake tomake make the American consumers pay more for their favorite beverage The bill while declaring coffee free provides pro dI that if t any country shall Impose an export tax upon coffee cartee exported to the United States a duty eQual to that tax shall be collected here There would be no great reat objection CUon to this It if the cof coffee coffee fee tee supply of the United States were drawn in nearly equal proportions from many man countries one of ot which had an en ex export export I port tax The sting sUng of it the little I Joker Is that Brazil supplies the United States with over 70 O 0 per cent of the cof coffee coffee coffee fee it consumes and has an export tax Both these facts must be known to the members of the ways was and means commit committee tee They must know lenow also that the effect of their proviso if Brazil did not repeal the export tax would be to make Amer American Amerlean lean ican consumers pay more for tor their cof coffee coffee coffee fee If they complained they the would be told that Brazil alone was to blame This is a fair fall sample of Republican tariff tinkering always afraid to come out in the open and inform the people of the country what it ii Is proposed to todo todo todo do It is worth while to take note of the fact tact that the proposed tax of a doP doi do dolar lar a barrel on beer was left out of the bill while a duty dut of S 8 cents a pound was put on tea and an underhand meth method method method od used in the attempt to enrich the holders of Brazilian coffee cortee |