Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-22
PRESIDENT SAID TO PREFER AL
pRIcH MEASURE TO PAYNE
TARIFF BILL.
WOULD GIVE 1T TRIAL
BEFORE SPECIAL TAXES
Believes, However, That Proposed Du-
ties Will Not Provide Sufficient Rev.
enues-Inheritance Tax Would Be
the Next Course to Adopt-lncome
Tax Democratic?

Washington, April 22.-Speaking to
several callers President Taft indi-
Gated that the senate tariff bill more
nearly suited him than the house tar
iff bill.
He said further, that he was not dis
posed to urge the adoption of any form
of special taxation at this time, but
would be content to accept the Aldrich
plan of testing the revenue-p producing
powers of the senate bill during the six
months that will elapse between it's
passage and the beginning of the real
work Of the next session of congress,
next winter, and he will not recon-
mend special taxes then If the new
tariff law should prove sufficient as a
revenue producer.
While the president is not opposed
to the income tax per Sc, he is in
clined to favor two other forms of
special taxation.
He indicates that no argument thus
far presented in opposition to the in
heritance tax has appealed to him as
can be produced by straight tariff
measure, without recourse to special
taxation, he will be glad, but he in
clines to the opinion that Senator AL
drich, is too sanguine with regard to
the revenue producing capacity Of his
tariff substitute, and also with regard
to possible economies to be effected in
the administration of the government.
However, he is willing to permit the
Aldrich scheme to be tried, knowing
that special taxes can be put on next
winter, if needed
Inheritance Tax First.
Discussing with some Of his callers
the various forms Of special taxation,
Mr.. Taft clearly indicated his prefer
ence for Inheritance tax, with a tax
on dividends of corporations as his
second choice. He admitted that he
had cherished some regard for the in
come tax, but that he had come to
regard 1t as injudicious legislation, ex-
cept as a last resort. He said that if
special taxation We're necessary he
would favor the inheritance tax, be-
cause it is easiest and most certain of
collection.
There We're three forms of tax on
corporations, he explained, and he had
not decided which was best. one would
be straight tax on gross incomes of
Notwithstanding tax on net in
comes of corporations or dividends, and
a third on the fund from which divi-
dends We're paid. He believed the SUBJ
ject worthy of earnest study. as il
might be necessary to recommend one
or another of these forms, next winter
Say Income Tax is Democratic.
Republican senate leaders are trying
to brand the income tax proposition as
being democratic, thus forestalling re-
publican support of the Cummins anG
other income tax amendments to the
tariff bill which have been and are t.
be introduced Mr.. Aldrich is strongly
opposed to the income tax because ne
believes it would be largely collected
in the states east of the Mississippi
Tariff taxes, which he favors, arr
distributed according to consumption
but income and Inheritance take:
} would be paid largely from accumula
tions. Hence Mr.. Aldrichs anxiety Z
convince the country that the tariff bill
as amended by him will produce suf
} ficient revenue without resorting I,
special taxes of any sort.