Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-08-05

After one of the bitterest and one
OF the most momentous legislative
dueis in the history of the national
capital the new tariff measure. the
Payne bill, has been drafted, perfect
ed. put through both houses and will
be signed by President Taft.
The real battle was commenced when
the bill (house report 1.43S) was re.
ceiyed in the senate and referred to
the committee on finance April 10.
Senator Aldrich. of Rhode Island, the
leader of the senate as chairman of
the finance committee. subsequently
became chairman of the conference
committee. which was appointed to ad'
just the differences arisin" between
senate and house and between both
houses of congress and the president.
The report of the conference COM
mittee which determined what would
be the provisions OF the Payne bill in
its final form was a victory for Pres
ident Taft. He informed all of the
conferees that hides must be placed on
the free list, together with petroleum,
crude and refined. They thereupon
decided to cut the Dingley tariff on
hides 10. 8 per cent. The president
heard the news and sent word that he
I had meant what he had said about free
hides. The figures were then lowered
TO Z per cent. Now Chairman Serene
E. Payne, of the ways and means com.
mittee, decided to demonstrate that his
original BILL providing for free hides
oil no cnh cd tn hn
emasculatory operations of the ma
iority of the conferees. He announced
that not even a per cent duty on
hides would be accepted by either him
self or the house. Without free hides
this tariff bill will not pass the house,
he was quoted was saying.
Message to the conferees.
The tariff came off hides instanter
and as quickly oil was put on the un-
taxed schedule. together with gasoline.
benzine and naptha. The leather
rough lumber. print paper, coal and
iron and glove schedules ranked next
In importance during the closing days
of the controversy.
If hides came. in free the important
New England boot and shoe manufac.
turing interests would consent to a re-
/ duction of the tariff on their products.
I otherwise they would continue 20
Z fight The solving of the hides prob
lem left it a simple matter to agree
Z to lower duties on boots and shoes.
( the Dingiey rate being 25 per cent.
I Saddlery and harness were cut to &C
/ per cent, as against the Dingley rate
l of As per cent The president resort.
Z ed to the unusual method of sending
written message to the conference
committee demanding lower rates OF
lumber and gloves than the Payne bill
provided, and he secured them.
The president was subjected to Sc
verest pressure from both the upward
and downward revisisnists throughout.
f The upward revisionists told him that
a reduction of duty on hides and leath-
er manufactures would make the next
congress Democratic, in which event
they argued that Taft would not pos
T sibly be renominated for the presi-
dency. The Downward" told him
that Roosevelt surely would be the
next Republican candidate for presi-
dent If the campaign promises for 4
downward revision were not fulfilled
Fight for Corporation Tax.
The president had highly difficult
task also in preserving his scheme for
corporation tax intact in the Payne
bill. This feature is clearly the most
unpopular one in the entire measure
SO far as members of the senate and
house were concerned. Many IF the
members argued TO the president that
the tax as provided for was unconsti-
tutional. Resolutions will be intro
,inced in the various state legislatures
condemning the act and recommend
Ing its repeal. according to statements
made by various congressman fn
Washington
The corporation tax of l per cent On
the entire net income over and above
$4,000 received by corporations from
all sources. exclusive of certain items
must be paid on or before June 80 each
year. Persons authorized to make re
turns OF statements to the govern
ment and who make returns of state
ments of fraudulent nature are sub
ject- to a fine of Sl,00e and imprison
ment for one year.
During the closing days of the tariG
controversy, before the bill was voted
on for final passage. over forty Repub
licaDs who had grievances of one sort
or another against certain of the pro
| visions of the bill stated that they
would vote against it. They had it In
| their power to defeat the measure and
force the president to call another
| special session in September or Oc'
| tober. They had the party leaders
! plainly worried for time, but the able
peaceinakers at the capital including
| President Taft himself, succeeded in
1 calming the ruffled waters.
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