Mr. STEVENS. I do not know as Ifully understand this aragraph; at allevents Iwill move to amend it by striking out the following: and all gas companies are hereby authorized to add the tax imposedbylaw to the prieeper 1,000 oubit feet on gassold. I was a member of the ComWays&Means when the bill now a law was under consideration. I supposed then, as I presume we all did, that we were taxing gas corn anies to some extent and we proposed a tax higher in proportion to the number of cubic feet they made upon the ground that the small compa nies found it cost more in proportion to produce a few 1,000 cubic feet than it did the large companies to produce 100s of 1,000s of cubic feet. After the production has reached a certain amount all the increased cost is for material, the cost for labor being the same. We therefore proposed to tax the larger companies a higher rate, because we supposed they could better afford to pay it than the smaller companies. But how has itrcsulted practicall I Just in proportion as the companies could make the gasmore cheaply, just in that proportion has the consumer been taxed. If the companies made their large quantities of gas so cheaply that they could afford to pay the higher tax, that tax hasbeen charged upon the consumer and the companies have paid no tax. Now, unless you will adopt the amendment I have proposed, instead of taxing the companies in proportion to the facilities with which they make their, and the profits they derive from its manu aetni e, we will be taxing the consumer in proportion to the facilities with which the compa nies make the gas. Now, I cannot understand why we should do that. Now, I take some humiliation to myself for having agreed to this when this subject was before the ComWays&Means 2 years ago. I confess that I then fell into the absurdity that my friendfrom NewYork [Mr. HOTCHKISS] did not want to expose here and now I suppose I have fallen into the other absurdityt at my friendfrom Vermont [Mr. MonniLL] referred to a few moments ago. But upon looking over this paragraph I cannot see how it is that we charge these companies one cent.