The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-07-08
REVISION IN THE DARK.

The news dispatches few days ago told of an mpor-
tant conference at the White House. The subject was
the tax on corporations
Who present? Aldrch and his tsme too' men of
the senate finance committee Cannon Payne and the re-
publican whip of the house. Was Cummns, LaFolette
Dollver Beveridge any of the senate house nsur
Only the bosses there 1t looks if the president
was trying to help Aldrch and Cannon push outside the
party lines the men who have strven vaanty to redeem
the promises which the party made to the people last fall
through the candidate for the presidency that the tariff
should be revised downward He to forget that he
is president because he not a regular
And what kind of conference was it? Were the re-
porters nvtedg Oh, it strictly private just
private it regular The business that considered
was public business wasn't it! After it over the an
nouncement was made that important changes were de-
clded upon in the plans the president had recommended
The legislation drafted by the attorney general
ferred back to him make it conform to the decisions of
this secret conference Had the people no right to full
report! The business they transactng was not the
private business OF single who present 1t
public business and the people entitled know what
their agents said and did.
And things done there that the people are nightly
interested IN The president had recommended that the
tax provision provide for strict governmental supeson
and thereby possess the and the stockhod
and the public of the knowledge of the real business
transactions and the gains and profits of every corpora
ton In the country Fair isn't itg Yes and the presi-
dent had in his message to congress- given mighty good
reason for it. He said Whie the faculty of assuming
corporate form has been of the utmost utility in the bust
ness world it is also true that substantially all of the
abuses and all OF the evils which have aroused the public
to the necessity OF reform made possible by the
of this very faculty. e. the corporate form of doing
business Good but at this very regular and very private
conference the president backed down. Whyg What
ments did Aldrch and Cannon and their henchmen use
to have the power of investigation pared down until
1T takes recommendation of the commissioner of internal
coneurred in by the secretary of the treasury
fore an investigation can be ordered
1t looked pretty good that stockholders and public alike
to have chance whether officers and directors
OF corporations robbng both But this would render
more difficult and dangerous such transactions the
Hartman Chicago & Alton deal. -.....
The people who called in to this private confer
ence had pracced and favored the sort of privacy
In corporate affairs The presence of Cmmns LaFolee
any other nsurgen would have disturbed the harmony
of the conference.
And at that conference other things decided upon
adverse to the public interest but it is too long story and
will require another chapter.
Some day the people will require that all conferences
public business shall be public Star chamber proceed
ings have no place in a democracy.