The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-07-31

The progress OF. the bill through
the legislative mill Of both houses
was eventful enough to satisfy the
most pronounced craver for parlia.
mentary warfare. The real battle
opened when the bill, House Report
143S.' was received in the senate and
referred to the committee on finance.
April 10. Aldrich of Rhode Island,
the leader of the senate. as chairman
OF the finance committee, subsequent
lybecame chairman of the conference
committee which was appointed to
adjust the differences arising be-
tween senate and house, and between
both houses Of congress and the pres
ident.
me report or me conference COM
mittee, which determined what would
be the provisions of the Payne bill
in its final form, was victory
for President Taft. He informed all
OF the conferees that hides must be
placed on the free list, together with
petroleum, crude and refined. They
thereupcn decided to cut the Ding
ley tariff on hides to per cent. The
word that he had meant what he said
about free hides. The figures were
then lowered to per cent. Now
Chairman Serene Payne of the ways
and means committee decided to
demonstrate that his original bill,
providing for free hides, should no
longer be subjected to the emascula-
tory operations of the majority of
the conferees. He announced that
not even 8 per cent duty on hides
would be accepted by either himself
or the house. Without free hides
this tariff bill will not pass the
house" ha Was nrnted as saving
The tariff came off hides instanter.
and as quickly was oil put on the uu.
taxed schedule. together with gaso
line beazine anG naphtha. -
The leather, rough lumber, print
paper, coal and iron and gloves
schedules ranked next i'm importance
during the closing days OF the con.
troversy.
II hides come In free, the import
ant New England boot and shoe man
ufacturing interests would consent to
reduction of the tariff on their pro-
ducts, otherwise they would continue
to fight. The solving Of the hides
problem left II simple matter to
agree to lower duties on boots and
shoes-the Dingley rate being % per
cent Saddlery and harness were cut
TO 40 per cent, as against the Diugley
rate of 45 per cent.
rne president resorted to the un.
usual method Of sending a written
message to the conference committee
demanding lower rates on lumber
and gloves, than the Payne bill pro.
vided. and he secured them.
The president was subjected to Sc
verest pressure from both the upward
and downward revisionists through
out. The upward revisionsts told
him that reduction of duty on hides
and leather manufactures would
make the next congress Democratic,
in which event they argued that Taft
would not possibly be renomlnated
for the presidency The "downwards"
told him that Roosevelt would surely
be the next Republican candidate for
president II the campaign promises
for a downward revision were not
fulfilled.
The president had a highly difficult
task also in preserving his scheme
for a 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 of the members argued TO the
president that the tax as provided
for was unconstitutional. Resolutions
will be introduced in the various
state legislatures condemning the
act and recommending its repeal. ac.
cording to statements made Ly vari-
GUS congressman in Washington.
The corporation tax of | 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 author
ized to make returns or statements to
the government and who make re-
turns or statements Of a fraudulent
nature are subject to fine of $1,000
and imprisonment for one year.
During the closing days Of the
tariff controversy, more than forty
Republicans who had grievances OF
one sort or another against certain
of the provisions of the bill stated
that they would vote against It. They
had II in their power to defeat The
measure and force the president to
call another special session In Sep
tember or October. They had the
party leaders plainly worried for
time. but the able peacemakers at
the capital. including President Taft
himself. succeeded in calming the
eu01 "a vynfaru