West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-07-15
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Final Adjournment OF Congress May
Occur July "a.
The DEMOCRATS ARE DISAPPOINTED
Failure OF Income Tsx-innuence OF
Minority-Nsyy Department
Experiments.
The DEMOCRATS ARE DISAPPOINTED
From Our Regular Correspondent.

From Our Regular Correspondent.
WAsnINGroS, July l3-The senate has
made such rapid progress in It's consider
alton of the tariff bill that il now looks "A
II final adjournment would be reached by
July y, which by somewhat curious
coincidence is the date on which the Ding
ley bill was signed, after special session
which convened March ID, the same date
as saw the beginning OF this session. SEN
ator Aldrich, chairman of the finance
committee, is having prepared a tabu-
lated comparison Of the house and senate
bills, by which he hopes to show that the
increases made in the upper house have
been neither as numerous nor as great as
is popularity supposed.
II is true that there have been a num-
Der OF decreases from the bill a. originally
reported from the finance committee,
many of which, because they were effect
ed with little debate, attracted but little
attention. Despite this fact, however,
even casual study Of the measure as re-
ported to the senate from the committee
of the whole shows an appalling number
of increases which even the ingenuity of
Mr.. Aldrich will find it difficult TO ex-
plain, and which are certain to merit and
to receive the censure of the great army
of consumers.
NEN
The one feature of the senate bill on
which the leaders are relying TO mitigate
popular censure is the substitution of the
tax on the net earnings of corporations
for the tax on Inheritance, together with
the adoption by unanimous vote of the
joint resolution submitting 10 the several
states constitutional amendment author
izing congress to impose tax OH indi-
vidual incomes. Great as is tho diaap-
pointment TO the Democratic leaders over
the failure of an income tax at this ses-
sion, they are, like true philosophers,
finding no small degree of comfort in the
fact that President Taft has permitted it
to become known that the special tax
which he prefers above all others is n
graduated income tax.
In view of the fact that this has long
been one of the chief planks in the Dem
ocratic platform, it is strikingly illustra-
tive OF the influence exerted 10y the mi
nority and OF the adaptability of the ma
jority that this constitutional amendment
is now given its first real impetus by a
Republican president and such stanch
adherents of old-school Republicansm as
Nelson w. Aldrich and his associates on
the finance committee. IL was perhaps
to be expected OF Il president so welded
to the law and who enjoyed so long and
eminent an experience on the bench as
Judge Taft that he should, regardless of
his views of that decision of the supreme
court which pronounced unconstitutional
the income tax of the Wilson bill, hesi-
tate to promote the re-enactment of a
similar law. IL must be taken into con-
slderation in judging of his course that
the more pronounced was his conviction
that the court erred in its former decision,
the more 10th would he be again to pre-
sent to 1T the same cause for adjudication.
Like all great lawyers his respect for
the supreme court Of the United States at
least approaches the sacrisanct, and be-
lieving as he probably did that the SUI
preme court would be compelled To re-
verse its former decision, or else purely
as a matter of consistency again to err,
Inc was 10th to place it in that position.
BY means of constitutional amendment
he is convinced that the greatest tribunal
in the land can he saved from that en-
barrassing position, and it is an earnest
OF his sincerity that he has so far won
over to his view that conservative Of con
servatives, Senator Root, of New York,
that Mr.. Root in public debate pledged
himself to work and vote for the adoption
of the constitutional amendment by his
own state, which has generally been as
snmed least likely TO approve it.
The navy department is about to under
take series of experiments which will
be attended with the utmost interest, al
though every effort will be- made to guard
the results from publicity. To an extent
hardly conceivable to the uninitiated the
whole system OF ordnance, including pro-
jectiles, armor resistance, torpedo attack,
and large part of the science of ballis-
tics, is purely theoretical, being built up
from q series Of experiments with mini
mum sizes and distances from which are
calculated the effects, increased in arith-
metical ratio. For instance, the experts
fire a compound projectilo at 6-inch
armor plate, at given velocity, and from
the results they calculate, by rule Of three.
what effect a ,OOO-pound projectile, fred
at propOrtiOnately reduced velocity. at
q Finch armor plate would have.
With = materially increased appropria-
ton, secured at the last session Of con-
grcss, experiments arr To be made with
lull-sized prOjcctiles, at actual war dis
.ances, and at actual thickncsscs OF armor
plate. For instance, a target covered with
l2-inch plate will be- subjected TO the fire
pi n Pinch gun, at distances Of three.
.our, or five miles, which will closely ap-
prOximatc actual battle conditions and
ierve 10 prove the accuracy, or the re-
verse, Of the mathematical calculations
which heretofore have been the sole guide
IF the ordnance experts. Experiments