The Washington herald., 1909-04-11
TAFT TO DETERMINE
LEGALITY OF TARIFF
will Scrutinize Measure Be-
fore 1t Leaves senate
E1CKERSHAM WILL WRITE IT
livery Effort VIII BE Made to Make
the BIZ as Near Perfect as Possible.
Plan TO Restore Inheritance Tax
Ssa TO Fix an Assessment on Cor
poratiOn Dividends in the Senate.

Attorney General Wickersham Will
write the administrative features OF the
Payne tariff bill as it viii finally be
passed by the Senate and sent TO the
President for his signature.
This fact became known yesterday. and
It also was stated the President would
pass upon the legality Of each clause be-
fore the Attorney General sent it TO the
Senate In its refined form.
Finance experts are now engaged put
ting that part Of the bill into rough
shape. and they will perfect it as nearly
as possible before il is sent to the White
House and the Department Of Justice
The bill as reported TO the Senate will
not contain the administrative sections.
but these will be reported as soon as
passed upon by the Department OF
Justice.
This course has been determined upon
by the Senate leaders, it is said, SO as
10 have the bill as nearly a perfect
measure as It can be made The minimum
and maximum rates Of the bill viii be
worded carefully, and all other admins
trative features made as clear and fair
as possible.
VIII Be Reported IueS0dys
The measure viii be reported to the
Senate Tuesday, in all probability. and
will have been amended in about forty
sections. The Republican members Of
the Finance Committee have been hard
at work on the measure for ten days,
and will hold another meeting early to-
morrow morning. Later a meeting OF
10 h-TI nd
the bill taken up in a formal manner.
II had been the intention Of the Re
publican members Of the committee 10
invite the Democratic members to a
meeting to-day. but they were unable 10
get them 70 consider the bill on Easter
sunday. They protested. many Of them,
saving they had all the summer before
them.
The Democrats are complaining that
they are not going to be allowed enough
time in the committee 70 consider the
bill; that they ought to have at least
week but the majority Of the members
do not think II win be pracucable 70
consider IL by sections before il is taken
up in the Senate.
As reported to the Senate, the bill, Il
Is said. will provide for duty of 10
per cent on hides. win increase the lum-
Der duties to those imposed by the Ding
lev law. and will put a duty Of 40 cents
a ton on coal Hides and coal are on
the free list IN the Payne bill.
Income Tax Amendment.
There will be an amendment. also. II
is said by Senator Cummins, providing
for an income tax. II is not known what
rate Of tax is contemplated for this sec
ton. Senator Bailey. the ranking Demo
cratic member Of the committee. viii in
troduce an amendmsnt providing for an
income tax Of One-fourth Of I per cent,
but this cannot be done until the bin is
taken up in the Senate. The Cummins
amendment probably viii be in the bill
as reported from the committee.
The Dingley duties on wool will be re-
stored ln the bill by the Senate commit
tee. The House reduced these schedules
about 30 per cent. The bin viii also
provide a duty OF s. a ton on steel rails
The DinEley duty was S.S4, ard the
PAYNE rate is S3.92
Tile glove and hosiery schedules will be
reduced 20 the Dingley rates also, it is
said. The Payne bill increased these
rates-some of them more than 100 per
cent
Tax on Corporation Dividends
Another new feature OF the bill, II the
Democrats are successful, viii be the
imposition Of q duty Of One-fOurth Of
per cent on the gross dividends OF cor
porations. This amendment viii be Of
fered by Senator Clay. and It Is said he
has the solid backing Of the Democrats
and a number Of Republicans.
The duty on structural iron, as reported
from the committee, VIII be one-half a
cent a pound. The Payne schedule pro-
vided duty OF three-tenths Of I cent.
Iron ore will be under a duty Of 20 cents
a ton. it is said. The Dingley duty was 40
cents a ton. and the Payne bill put this
section on the free list
Works OF art also viii be admitted free,
while the Payne bin allowed art TO go
on the free list only for articles more
than twenty years old.
The silk schedules viii be revised and
a specific duty at slight increases over
the Dingley rates viii be imposed, but at
a reduction OF the duties imposed in the
Payne bill.
Senator Aldrich said yesterday that he
believed the Senate would pass the bill
In about four weeks. He said the bill
would not be rushed TO a final vote. but
that everybody would be given a fair
chance to offer amendments.
The plan OF the Democrats. as an
n0unced yesterday, viii be 20 put every
thing in the bill on revenue basis. They
viii attempt to reduce the tariff on all
the articles on the dutiable list and put
a revenue dutv on those on the free list