Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-25
Maine Members Favor
New Excise Tax.
Delegation Avoided Fire Works
On Pulp Schedule.
Duty Of 81 Per Ton Their Reward...
Three Weeks More Of Debate.

l
ali lining up for the excise tax on
corporations which President Taft has
recommended in his special message.
| The Maine members of the House voted
for the inheritance tax, which was a
part of the Payne bill as it passed at
| that end of the Capitol. They were
not all convinced of the desirability of
| that provision, but accepted it because
of the need of the country for more
| revenue.
| Now that the President has put for
| ward another plan, the Maine men will
all approve of it and, in any event, they
| look upon it as preferable to an in
come tax. The Inheritance tax in no
| way commended itself to the Senators
of either party and it has become a
question whether there shall be an in
come tax or an excise tax. The Maine
senators, along with most other Sena-
| tors from the East do not approve of
| the Democratic policy of an income
| tax and therefore believe it should be
defeated
Uncle john Swasey, the represent
| alive of the End District, has been
drawing near during the debate on the
| wood pulp and print paper sections of
| the tariff bill For a long while he
| remained afar off. He crept into the
Senate chamber quietly and unosten-
| tatiously and went away back to the
rear seats against the wall and sat
down. AS a rule senators do not like
to have members of the House pushing
| into their seats. But "Uncle john
was tremendously interested in the
outcome of the print paper delibera-
tiOns and therefore, at Senator Hale's
request he took a seat very near the
senator's to be able to offer any sug-
gestion that might occur to him. 1t
all seemed a little strange to Uncle
John" at first to find himsslf pumped
right down in the midst of those big
senators. But the exchange of missiles
soon became so lively that his thoughts
were diverted. That round and chubby
Senator Brown of treeleSs Nebraska,
who knows about as much about wood
pulp as a bull pup and whose speech
is said to have been written for him,
began to fire away and then Senators
Hale, Frye and Galliger of New Hamp-
shire began to hang on the flank of
the discussion. They popped away at
him with such troublesome questions
that the Nebraskan was speedily con-
fused.
"Well." suggested "Uncle john to
Senator Hale at appears to me you
are shooting him full of holes.'
Some facetious persons thought SEN
ators Hale and Frye must have for
gotten to deliver their speeches on
wood pulp and print paper, so anxious
were they to have the committee
}oy, n &c ;r;, Ito lx,t: 10
through. Not so. They had prepared
two good speeches. chock full of in
formation to enlghten the jaded Sen
ate. But after day of worrying the
cherubic Brown from treeless Ne
braska. the Maine senators surveyed
the field and concluded there was no
usef them 10 waste their effort and
the time of the Senate in speaking
So they called for a vote and the rate
of 81 a ton on print paper, which the
finance committee had reported, went
through akiting, just as quickly and
with Just as good a majority as though
Senator Hale had led off with his most
convincing argument in behalf of the
paper mills and Senator Frye had fol-
| lowed in like effort
The Maine senators have been more
concerned about getting the terms for
the enforcement of the countervailing
duty upon mechanically ground pulp
well-drawn than about making speech
es. They got the print paper duty
through without any undue amount of
criticism and now if the provisions
about export duties on logs and pulp
from Canada stick as they want it
to, the Maine pulp and paper indus
try will, be all right and no reason to
| worry. For it is a safe bet that the
tariff will not be revised again for q
good many years. unless the Demo-
Gratis get control of the Senate. which
they are not in the way of doing very
| soon. AS the plans are laid mechan-
| ically ground wood pulp is not to be
admitted free unless Ontario abolishes
her export tax on logs, but, as matters
stand in Canada, it is next to impos-
sible for Ontario to abolish that ex-
port tax. Therefore the condition is
| quite as good for the makers of wood
pulp in Maine as a protective tariff
would be.
The House has the same provision
about wood pulp, or nearly the same,
which encourages the hope that the
stronger Senate provision about wood
| pulp will be allowed to stand in the
law as it is written upon the statute
books. 1t is believed that Chairman
Payne of the ways and means COM
| mittee will be friendly. There are
many pulp and paper mills in his sec
ton of New York which produce more
paper and also, consume more paper
than any other state in the Union.
The decision of the Maine men about
| their speeches on print paper deprived
the Senate of the only prospect it has
had for two or three years of hearing
Senator Frye. He has abstained en-
tirely from speechmaking for quite a
time. believing that it made too great
I n tax upon his energies. He was will
ing to draw upon his strength to the
| limit in the cause of the tariff duties
# it should have been necessary.
Senator Hale was glad enough to be
| rid of the necessity of making speech
on print paper. for his throat. which
has been troubling him considerably
| for the last two weeks, is just getting
| well. Then he has to do considerable
talking anyway during the proceedings
on the tariff hill for the next week or