New-York tribune., 1909-03-29
WEEK OF POLITICAL DIS
CUSSION.
Nert Step Firing of Rule for Time
Limit on Consideration
IN the House.
IN the House.
From The Tribune Bureau


speeches on the proposed new schedules and the
Republican members of the Senate Committee
on Finance began serious consideration Of the
Senate substitute for the House measure. Prog
ress on the bill IN the House was political rather
than economic. That is to say the respective
party leaders outlined the Republican and Dem
ocratic positions on the broad lines OF tariff re-
vision In the closing days of the week the
leaders began a systematic inquiry to find out
what course is to be followed this week and
next The "soundings" were made by Repre-
sentative Dwight. of New York the Republican
whip. His preliminary report showed rocks and
shadows in unlocked for places. and made 1t
necessary for Speaker Cannon and Representa-
tive Payne to defer the launching Of a rule for
the time being.
When the Payne bin was made public the sen
timent of the Republican Senate leaders was de-
cidedIy hostile TO the general scheme embodied
| in the measure The inheritance tax provision
was attacked on all sides, and there was general
disapproval Of the plan TO make the minimum
rates the normal tariff and TO impose the maxi
mum rates bv way OF retaliation. When Sen
ator AIdrich had his first conference on the
| Payne bill with President Taft he intimated that
| the maximum and minimum scheme proposed pS
! Mr. Payne would never do The President taken
! fully and frankly with the chairman OF the sen
! ate Finance Committee and gave his reasons 'or
| approving the Payne plan. When Mr.. Atoilc"
! left the White House he had not changeu his
mind about the inheritance tax section. but ap-
/ parently was convinced that the Payne maxi
! mum and minimum plan had merit. He mas
| since informed Mr. Taft that, far as possible
! this plan VIII have his support in the framing
! OF the Senate substitute Care will be taken oy
| Senator Aldrich and his colleagues to oroaoeh
the language OF the Payne bill SO that the Pres-
dent will have discretion TO ignore special trade
| errangements between foreign countries when
have no inimical effect on the commerce OF the
United states Mr.. Aldrich adheres to the opn-
ion that the Senate will not accept the inheri-
tance tax. and that some material alteration VIII
be made in the tax on tea.
PRESIDENTS ATTITUDE PLAIN.
The President has made it clear TO the leaders
Of Congress that he win engage in no contro-
verses over specific duties in the tariff bill al
though he adheres to his position that he VIII
deem II his duty TO veto it II the Senate de-
rrives the Payne bill of it's revisonary features
The President has also permitted 1t 10 become
known that IT, as practically completed. the
tariff bill is shorn Of :he inheritance tax feature
and gives promise OF inadequate revenue. Con
gross NAV hear from him with forcefui recon-
r,Andatiou of some form OF income tax. and
further that he has even gone TO the length OF
having the Attorney General prepare bill pro-
viding for q tax Of per cent on the DIVIDENDS
Of certain corporations
There is little doubt that before this week ends
definite steps will be taken to fix a limit OF time
for consideration Of the Payne bin in the House
It is expected that general debate Will close on
Wednesday or Thursday. and that rule will be
brought in for controlling the nature and scope
Of amendments and their discussion. The Dem
ocratic leaders are opposed to the adoption OF a
rule similar to that which governed considera-
tion of the Dngley bill. That rule provided that
the bill should be taken up for amendment
under the fve-minute rule, and that after six
days the previous question on the bin and all
pending amendments should be ordered Under
this rule only fifteen pages Of the bill were open
to amendment from the floor, and II was I'M
possible to offer amendments to las pages Of the
bill. When Mr. Dingley was asked TO extend
the tine for considering amendments to the bill
he retorted that it would require six months to
pass the bill in the House if every paragraph
We're TO he open general discussion and
amendment.
II is probable that a Republican caucus will
be held to agree on a rule which shall bind the
majority party II will be a difficult matter to
phrase a rule which will bring to its support
every Republican. There is opposition to the
plan suggested by some OF the leaders that all
amendments shall be referred TO the Commit
tee on Ways and Means and that all Repub-
licans shall abide by the decision of the com
mittee. 1t may be necessary to bring in a rule
which will permit discussion Of each schedule OF
the bill under the fve-m.nute rule. In this con-
necton the suggestion has been made that be-
ginning the middle of this week. one day shall
be devoted to the consideration of amendments /.
10 each schedule. If this procedure should be
adopted the final vote the bill in the House
would be taken about April Is The rule
which the House leaders earnestly desire would
permit only amendments favorably reported by
the Ways and Means Committee to come to a
vote There will be at least two hundred
amendments most Of them inconseuuential re-
ported by that committee.
The most notable speech on the bill last week
made by Chairman Payne of the Ways and
Means Committee, and probably the least not
able by Champ Clark, the minority leader Mr.
Payne's speech occupied nearly two full legis-
lative days He took up his measure schedule
by schedule, and explained fully and frankly the
reasons for the various changes He discussed
also the revenue question. the operation of the
minimum and maximum provisions and elab-
GRATED his former comment on the new admin
istratve features. Mr.. Clarks speech was al
most entirely political Even the admirers of
the Missourian were disappointed that he did
not see fit to indicate concrete amendments for
improving those schedules of the bill against
which he directed his attack. The most force
full speech on the Democratic side to date was
made 10y Representative Underwood of Ala
bama who discussed with ability the iron and
steel schedule proposed by Mr.. Payne
THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION.
While there has been much general criticism
on the Democratic side against the method pro-
posed in the Payne bill for carrying into effact
the maximum retalatory rates, and it has been
charged that the adoption OF this plan v,onId %