The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-21
TO TEST CORPORATION TAX.
BUT PRESIDENT TAFT is CONET.
DENT 1T WILL STAND.
The President is Planning Now
About How He viii Put Into exc.
cution His Campaign Promises to
Carry out the Roosevelt Policies In
Control of Corporations.

Control of Corporations.
Beverly, Mass. Ahg 1s.-Reports
which are reaching Beverly daily
from Washington and New York
that the constitutionality of the new
corporation tax is to be tested Just
as soon as an effort is made to collec,
Y, have not disturbed President Taf,
The President declared thev were all
anticipated
Mr.. Taft himself lawyer of some
eminence and father of the corpora
ton tax idea, is thoroughly convinced
that the tax will stand any test thar
may be applied to it. Attorney Gem
eral Wickersham, a corporation law
yer of note, and Senator Root coll
laborated on the corporation tax pro-
vision of the tariff bill, and the meas
ure as enacted, they believe, will sur
vive any attempt to nullify il.
Attorney General Wickerman 4.
coming to see the President FRIDAY,
but the prospect of litigation over the
corporation tax has nothing to do
with the visit. Mr.. wickersham has
some pardon cases upon which he de-
sires the President to act, and he
wants also to go over with Mr.. Taft
few of the prehminaries in the
plan for the reorganization of the du-
ties OF the Interstate commerce COM
mission, the amendment of the Sher~
man antitrust law, and bringing In
ter-State corporations more definitely
under the control of one branch Of
the Government
These objects will be the principal
recommendations in the Presidents
message to Congress next December.
In his speech OF acceptance in his
inaugural address, and during his
campaign tours, President Taft def
nitely committed himself to the So
called Roosevelt policies and de-
clared that the principal aim of his
administration would be to establish
the necessary machinery to enforce
these laws.
According to Mr., .rAft;s ,siauax.1ns,
|srscIsine'y tca y, cree tho ~ 6ll
statute is now inadequat4 He be-
lieves that the Interstate cOmmerse
commission is so overcrowded with
| work that the long delays incident to
its Investigations and decisions under
existing conditions work hardship
alike to the railroads and the COM
plainants with grievances. He be-
lieves that the commission ought to
be relieved of its Jurisdiction as an
executive, directing body, and that
its functions should be limited to the
quasi-judicial investigation Of COM
plants made by individuals. J
The President also believes that
under the Sherman antitrust law as
it stancs today there is much to in
terfere with legitimate business. but
that by amendment it can be made
an effective and just instrument.
To bring about coalition OFT the
| law departments of the various CIV
ernment departments. which have to
deal wsth railroads and other Inter.
State corporations and trusts" so ,as
TO permit of quick and decisive ac.
tion In case of offence against the
statutes, is another of the tasks.
which the President has set himse,f
to. S
The President received rath.
mysterious visit today from Assista -, -
secretary of the Treasury Nortds&
who was accompanied by Chas. E
Dawes, former Comptroller of thN
Currency, and now president of t,1E
Central Trust Company, of Chicago,
neither Of whom would discuss the
visit in any way.
Assistant Secretary Norton is in
charge of the internal revenue divis-
ion of the Treasury, and his visit may
nave to do with the collection of the
corporation tax.
Secretary McVeagh, who will visit
the President Friday or Saturday,
viii take up with him the appoint.
ment Of the members of the tariff ad-
visory commission authorized i'm the
tariff bill. 1t is likely that at the con-
terence between the President and
MY McVeagh decision will be
reached as TO whether the commits.
sion shall consist Of three or FIVE
members.
The President has not vet been ad-