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Show REVENUE BILL PASSES WITHOUT . A RECORD VOTE WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-Without a record vote, the senate late tonight passed the war revenue bill, reduced to raise about six billion dollars in 1919 and four billion in 1920, as compared com-pared with the levy of ?S,200,000.000 for next year, proposed In tho bill passed by the house three months ago. When the final vote was taken at 10:40 o'clock tho senate had been in hours. Immediately after the passage of the bill the senate began its holiday holi-day vacation under the plan for three -day recesses until January 2. Absence of a quorum in the house, however, had prevented that body from putting a similar program into effect. The revenue bill, which had been before the senate since December 12, now goes to conference with formal meetings of the senato and hous managers, man-agers, planned to begin January 2 with a view to final enactment of the legislation leg-islation next month. The senate conferees con-ferees appointed tonight were Senators Sena-tors Simmons' of North Carolina, Williams Wil-liams of Georgia, Democrats, and Sen ators Penrose ot Pennsylvania anu Lodge of Massachusetts, Republicans, Only a few scattering "noes," from the Republican side, marked the final vote on the bill. The Republicans did not seek another roll call, on the bill's provisions fixing 1920 tax rates, and no further votes were taken on the luxury provisions, reinserted today with the rate fixed at 10 per cent instead in-stead of 20 per cent. In disposing finally of controverted sections, the senate rejected, 55 to 6, the substitute bill off Senator La Fol-lette Fol-lette of Wisconsin which proposed higher rates principally on war-excess profits and individual income surtaxes. sur-taxes. Another vote on the second-class postage question also was taken and the senate sustained, 41 to 22, its previous action in favor of the amend ment, which will repeal the existing zone rates of publications and substitute substi-tute a rate of 1 cent a pound within 150 miles and 1M: cents a pound beyond. be-yond. Several Aiders were added to the bill, but no important changes In the finance committee draft were made except the reinstatement of so-called so-called luxury taxes on a number of articles costing above fixed standards. Among the riders adopted were provisions pro-visions for one month's pay bonus to men discharged from the military establishment es-tablishment after signature of the armistice; ar-mistice; extension of the Reed "bone-dry" "bone-dry" law in the District of Columbia, and for 100 per cent taxes on political campaign contributions In excess of $500. A change made in the automobile tax section, provided for exemption of trucks, tractors and trailers, reducing tho bill's estimated revenue yield by about $30,000,000, but tho reinsertion of the luxury tax clause will result in ah estimated yield of $80,000,000. Senator Pomercne of Ohio offered the motion to strike from tho bill tho committee amendment affecting second-class postage rates. Senators' voting In support 6f his "motion Avere: Democrats Beckham, Johnson of South Dakota, King, KIrby, McKellar, Martin of Kentucky, Myers, Nugent, Pollock, Poremene, Shafroth, Shep-pard, Shep-pard, Smith of Arizona, Thomas, Trammel and Vardaman 16. Republicans Gronna, Kenyon, La Follette, Lenroot, Norris and Sutherland Suther-land 0. Total 22. Cflni(nr TftKncnn nf Pnlifnrnin T?a- publican, criticised the finance committee com-mittee for waiting until now to levy SO per cent on war profits. The minority min-ority who, last year, fought for that rate, he said, were "poisoned by gas spread by big business," abused and denounced. The inheritance tax plan proposes a graduated levy ranging from 1 per cent on inhcrltances-between $10,000 and $25,000 to 25'per cent on those over $2,500,00). Another amendment exempts from Inheritance taxes life insurance policies payable to beneficiaries, benefi-ciaries, regardless of their amount On motion of Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin, Wis-consin, the senate reduced the tax from 20 per cent to 10 per cent on all luxuries enumerated in the bill except on men's and women's clothing. cloth-ing. The latter exception was made at the request of Senator McCumbcr of North Dakota, who urged that the entire tax bo removed from these articles. ar-ticles. An amendment by Senator Johnson of South Dakota to el mlnato the 5 per cent tax on auu.noblle trucks, automobile wagon trailers and tractors was adopted. Adoption of this amendment leaves the 5 per cent tax only on automo biles and motorcycles The Reed law, prohibiting shipment of liquor for beverage purposes into "dry" territory, would be applied to the District of Columbia under an amendment by Senator Sheppard of Texas, adopted by the senate, 42 to 18. The senate rejected an amendment by Senator Pollock of South Carolina, extending the thanks of congress to the members of the district and local draft boards and authorizing the secretary sec-retary of w,ir to present them with bronze medals. An amendment by Senator Jones of New Mexico, permitting any taxpayer who is head of a family to deduct from his gross Income the amount not exceeding $1000 paid by him annually as rent on his residence, also was rejected. re-jected. The senate adopted an amendment by Senator Jones of Washington, providing pro-viding that where a railroad corporation corpora-tion is In competition with a foreign road, the tax of the American line shall not exceed that of the foreign line. The purpose of the amendment, Senator Jones said, was to meet a 'situation in the northwest, where a Canadian line competes with on American.' Am-erican.' road-Senator road-Senator La Follette's revenue substitute sub-stitute bill, which would raise SG.713,-000,000 SG.713,-000,000 chiefly by increased rates and surtaxes, was lost, 55 to 0, after the author had spoken for nearly three hours. Senators voting for its adoption adop-tion were Borah Gronna, Norris, Nugent, Nu-gent, Vardaman and La Follette. In his first address to the senate in a year, "Senator La Follette urged adoption of his substitute bill, with increases principally on war-excess profits and individual income surtaxes. sur-taxes. Senator La Follette, whose address was prepared, attacked tho senarts bill principally because, he said, It would not raise enough revenue nor distribute distrib-ute taXQs fairly. He said it would not really levy SO per cent on war profits, nor Impose largo enough taxes on persons with large incomes. "I would take every dollar of war profit," the Wisconsin senator said, "leaving business Its enormous pre- j war profits and its capital untouched. j "I would take all of the Income over enough to enable the owner of j the income to support his family in i comfort" ! oo I |
