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Show m Congress to Reduce m Taxes On jLuxu ies H WASHINGTON, May 23, On" of HHl tho first nicasurca ot rovenuo reform H to bb put forward by tho Republican H Congress will be a reduction. of tho H luxury tax provisions ot the rovenuo H law enacted at the last session of tho H Democratic congress. H It la contended by legislators that H many of theso provisions lmposo an H unnecessary burden upon tho pur- H chaser of the ordinary necessities ot H life and unduly add to the cost of llv HH' Ing. For instance it is pointed out H that It la npw dlfflcult to buy a good K and substantial pair of shoes for f 10 H Yet tho law declares that, any pair of' H uhocs which costs more than that is n luxury and is bo taxed. Tho dorby hat of good quality of tho nvrcago man which formerly cost 6. now. costs 8. But tho rovenuo law do-, fines it a luxury it moro than ? 5.00 Is paid. Tho same Is true- on all shirts costing raoro than 3. Ono' of the most popular mattes ot shirts In ho country today could be pur-' chased before tho war for $1.50 but I now costs $3. Ordinary shirts have therefore under tho Kitchln Simmons Maw becomo a luxury for which tho purchase must pay on additional tax. Not many women would consider a hat costing $15 a luxury, especially in these days ot high prices, but the law declares that any hat of this sort which costs more than that sum Is a luxury and must be taxed. Hence the object of tho Republicans who aro J to, tako control of tho Ways and Means commlttco in Iho Houso and tho Finance commhceo In tho Senate to removo what they term theso absurdities ab-surdities of tho law. ' Representative Bascom Slomp, of Virginia, a member ot tho Appropriations Appropri-ations commlttco, and himself a bust ncss man, has proposed this financial finan-cial plan: Reduction in taxes I should say, from 2t to 33 per cent. I should separato the abnormal from tho normal expenses so far, as can be that is, I should consider the necessary neces-sary running of the government In a way similar to what it was fiefore tho war, the Interest an the public debt and a sinking fund therefor as nor-mar nor-mar expenses of the government. Theso should be mot by taxation. Railroad, telegraph, and telephone losses, publio highways the large ar-my ar-my necessary for the emergency and similar expenses I should regard as abnormal and to bo borno by bond issues. I will assume the normal expenses ex-penses of running the government similar to before tho war to bo between be-tween 11,000,000,000 and $1,500,-000,000, $1,500,-000,000, intdrest on Uio public debt to bo $800,000, and tho sinking fund $500,000. This would bring the total to-tal to bo derived from taxation jtb below $3,000,000,000 annually." |