The San Francisco call., 1909-04-20
ALDRICH AGAINST
INCOME TAX SCHEME
Chairman OF Finance Committee
Opens Tariff Bill Debate
in the Senate
Declares Pending Measure Will
Produce Ample Revenue to
Garry on Government

WASH1NGlON, April 19.-ln open
ing the debate on the pending tariff
bill today Senator Aldrich. chairman
of the committee on finance assured
the senate in most positive terms that
mittee would produce ample revenue
for the government. He suggested that
if, by any possibility. these estimates
should prove to be Incorrect the duty
of congress would be to reduce ex-
penditures and make them conform to
actual revenue conditions and not to
impose new and onerous taxes"
EVIDENTLY AGAINST INCOME TAX
While he did not refer specifically
to any proposition TO impose an in
come tax, his statement declaring that
ample revenue may be derived from
other sources was accepted as direct
opposition To all such propositions.
Aldrich stated that the net increase
from customs over the existing law
was estimated at s1L666.74S for the
Payne bill as passed by the house, and
s9.934.42e under the bill as reported
from the senate committee.
In making the estimates the reve-
nues produced in 1906 were used in
attaining the comparison with the
house bill. and the revenues for 1907
when the imports were much larger in
arriving at the comparison with the
possibilities under the senate bill. Aid
rich believes that 1907 was a normal
year. while Representative Payne,
chairman of the house committee on
ways and means, believes 1906 was the
last year when conditions were normal.
DEMOCRATS MAY DEBATE
In commenting upon the tariff bill
Aldrich said it was not his purpose to
discuss the wisdom or unwisdom OF
the protective tariff policy. He added
that there would be no attempt to re-
strict debate on the democratic side
upon the question.
These items, he said, had been re-
ported practically without recommen-
dation-coal and its reciprocal pro-
vision, paper and wood pulp and hides.
He said that this had not been done
because of any desire to evade respon-
sibility on those questions. but merely
because the committee had not received
data that would be necessary to per-
nit it to draw its conclusions. When
that data was received, he said, rec
concentrations would be made in re-
spect to those items.
SPEAKER CANNON PRESENT
Speaker Cannon entered the senate
chamber before Aldrich began and
carefully followed his remarks
Upon concluding the reading of his
prepared statement Aldrich launched
upon q criticism OF amendments pre-
pared by Daniel for tax on the gross
receipts of corporations and by Bailey
for a tax on incomes. each of which,
he said, would impose $60,0o0,0o0 of
taxes.
INTERRUPTED BY BAILEY
Being interrupted by Bailey. who
suggested that he knew the senator
from Rhode Island would not wish to
misrepresent him, Aldrich said he
would reply to the senator's suggestion
that the tariff schedules be reduced to
offset the $6O,000,0OO to be raised by
an income tax That could be done.
he said only by making some of the
duties prohibitive or by putting them
on the free list. He charged the demo-
cratic leaders with proposing taxes
that would be an additional tempta-
tion TO extravaganza
At the conclusion of Aldrich's state
ment. Senator Daniel, the ranking
minority leader of the finance commit
tee took the floor. He arraigned the
republican members of the committee
for their exclusion of the democratic
members during the consideration of
the bill.
HOLDS MILITARISM RESPONSIBLE
In commenting upon the increased
expenditures of the government Daniel
declared militarism had been respon-
sible for large part of the excessive
appropriations and quoted Tawpey's
remarks in the house respecting the
part of military expenditures In caus-
ing a deficit. The Japanese scare, he
said. had been responsible for much
that had been done, but he did not
believe there were any Americans who
believed Japan could overrun or over
take this country.
Those who have entertained, that
dread said Daniel. have never
deigned to give us the reason for their
thought
GIVES DEMOCRATIC PRECEDENT
At the conclusion of Daniels re-
marks Aldrich sent to the clerks desk
a copy of a senate debate held Febru-
ary u. 1894. in which Senator yoor-
hees and Senator Vest had defended
the democratic procedure in framing
the Wilson bill to be reported to the
senate without participation Of the re-
publican minority.
IJpon motion of Aldrich the bill was
then made the unfinished business of
the senate.
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