Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-18
SOME STATE AGENTS
Have Lined Their Pockets With Di-
rect Tax Commissions.
CONTRACTS CANNOT BE ANNCLLED
BY ANY of the Provisions in the Bill Passed
by Congress.
VIEWS EXPRESSED At THE CAPITAL
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE

standing the manner in which some of the
Harrisburg correspondents report favorably
to Governor Pattison in the matter bear
ing on the collection of the upward of
81, 600, 900 refunded to Pennsylvania by the
direct tax bill Appropriation, it Is asserted by
politicians here that the Governors fnan-
cial agent, B. F. Mead, is working to get a
large slice out of the money. The Harris
burg correspondents gives a very erroneous
impression in regard to the possibilities
when, after quoting a clause of the direct
tax bill, providing that no part of the re-
fund shall 60 to any attorney for or agent
Of the State, it asserts that it is therefore
impossible for anyone to get commission.
Fat commissions haye already been paid
to o number of State agents. The Treasury
authorities have no right or power to in
quire whether any part of the refunded tax
is to be paid to an agent. All they ask is
that the Legislature shall adopt the proper
resolution and that the Governor shall di-
rect the manner of the payment of the
money. After that it remains with the
Auditor General of the States whether a
commission shall be paid.
The prohibition clause of the direct tax
bill cannot render nlgatory State contract
in the form of an act OF the Legislature.
More than 20 years ago q law was enacted
at Harrisburg providing for a financial
agent to see to the prosecution of claims of
the State against the United States, and in
this law the State contracted to pay a COM
mission of 10 per centum on all moneys col
lected on claims successfully prosecuted at
Washington.
After the close of the war every State
having such claims against the Federal
Government enacted laws creating financial
agents similar to the Pennsylvania law, and
involving contracts to pay various COM
missions. from per cent in Ohio up to as
high as 30 per cent in Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania's contract, as stated, being 10 per
cent.
vitiate these contracts. The only obstacle
in the way of the payment of the COM
missions is the possible refusal of the Audi
tor of State to audit favorably the claim tor
commission. If the Governor on the one
side and Republican politicians TN the other
should influence the Auditor General of
Pennsylvania to allow the commission due
under the States contract, with the under
standing that tine Repu blican State Commit
tees treasury should get slice and the
Democratic fund another slice, it is thought
by some of the smart politicians of both
parties here that it would be nice way to
settle the question.
Mead Thinks He Has Earned 1t.
Mr.. B. f. Mead, IN his statement before
the Senate committee having charge of the
direct tax resolution, stated that he did not
desire 10 take the full 10 per cent allowed
by the contract with the State. but he had
done so much hard work for the bill at
Washington that ne thought he ought to
have something. He was also generous
enough to say that Judge Wells, financial
agent continuously for nearly 20 years, ex-
cepting during the former Pattison regime,
ought to have something, for he, too, had
done good work for the direct tax bill.
The gentleman who deserves the most, il
not all, of the credit for the passage of the
direct tax bill, is Fiscal Agent Talford, of
the State of Ohio. The bill was passed by
the Senate early in the first session of the
last Congress, and for long months was
lodged in committee in the House. The
appropriations had been so liberal that it
was deemed impolitic to add to the huge
bulk the upwards of SIS, 900, 900 involved in
the direct tax bill. Talford, who Is a very
shrewd young politician, took a different
view VI LuC QuCSLlOu. hc IL WOulu
be good thing for tine Republicans in the
important elections of next tall to present
the fact that the party in Congress had re-
funded to the States this long standing debt.
He presented his argument so strongly 10
Mr.. Mckinley that the latter Influenced the
Committee on Rules to give a day to the
consideration of the bill, and the measure
was saved and became law.
He Will Get His Commission.
Talford will get his full per cent allowed
by the contract of the State with its fuan-
cial agent, but ne does not claim it because
he lobbied for the bill. as Mr.. Mead seems
to do, but because he is the legal agent of
his State. To claim remuneration from
State for lobbying in the interests of the
State Is hitherto unheard-of phenomenon.
If Mr.. Mead can rightly claim anything he
can claim the 10 per cent allowed by the law
OF the State.
1t is asserted by some that the refunded
direct tax does not come within the meaning
of claims contemplated in the laws of the
States creating financial agents, but it is so
by some of the States already,
and the agent of Maryland will, without
demur, get 80 per cent of the refund to
that State. Mr. Talford will receive
about SIG, 600 for collecting the refund to
Ohio. If there were Republican admin
at Harrisburg there is little doubt
that Judge Wells would ask and get the full
10 per cent of the amount due Pennsylvania,
or S168, 900, OF which he would have to give