The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-03-12
President Taft Prepares For
Opening Of Congress
THE TARIFF THE ONE ISSUE
Taft and Leaders in Congress Convinced
That Extraordinary Means viii
Have 10 Be Provided for
Larger Revenues.

Washington, March 12.-President
Taft began work yesterday on the mes
sage which he viii send TO Congress
upon the opening day OF the extraordi.
nary session next week. The demands
made upon the presidents time by Wis.
itors during the first week OF his admin
! istration have been 80 constant as TO
leave little time for the transaction Of
public business. The extra session will
be convened next Monday and the mes
sage which the president win send to
Congress on that day viii be received
MS state paper OF much significance
at this time
II Is a foregone conclusion, Of course
that the message will be devoted largely
TO the question of the tariff and means
Of raising revenue The president will
recommend the enactment of an inheri-
lance tax law, but whether he win ex.
press any views as 10 the form which
the legislation should take In order to
keep within safe constitutional limits
is not known. The probability is that,
on this point, the president will conhne
himself TO discussion Of the broad
policy Of an inheritance tax law, and to
the need OF raising revenue TO meet
the growing demands Of the government
Whether there is 10 be any general
legislation ut the extra session besides
the tariff legislation is still a question,
but the impree sion ia growing in some
quarters that several measures of more
or less Importance will be taken up
early in the session and disposed Of by
each branch of Congress while the other
is engaged with the tariff bill.
President Taft and the leaders Of the
Senate and House are absolutely con
WINGED that some extraordinary means
will have TO be adopted to produce lar
ger revenue There is large aud
growing deficit in the treasury, and
there Is no prospect that under the pres
cn conditions the situation will inn
prove IN thu near future II is not i'm
possible even that the leaders will be
persuaded 10 impose tax on coffee, al
though it is appreciated that such tax
would be unpopular.
Senator Elkins Of West Virginia, who
called on President Taft yesterday
morning voiced the general feeling in
regard TO the necessity of devising addi-
tional means of producing a larger
revenue, to meet the expenses of the
- eminent. He said he was not ready
to say.that a coffee tax would be advis
able, but he did think that some kind
Of special taxds would be found neces-
sary.
With the Payne tariff bill practical
ly in readiness to be introduced on the
first day Of the special session. manu-
faeturers and Others who have interests
that viii be affected BY the new meas
ure gather daily at the ways and means
committee room in an effort to learn
something regarding the new bill.
The proposition that has given the
committee the most concern is the plan
to tax coffee Some Republican mem
hers declare that the taxing of the
breakfast table would make 1t impos.
sible for the Republicans to carry their
districts at the next election. The Ma
tional Coffee and Tea association wrote
to the committee that tax on coffee
or tsa would be unjust to the consumer,
detrimental to trade. irritating to the
masses and, finally, will fail to produce
any material revenue to the govern
ment for nearly two years to come.