Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-02
THAT SCHEDULES ARE
BEING HELD BACK UNTIL
LAST MOMENT.
TARIFF MAY BE PLACED
IF REVENUE is NEEDED
Schedules Being Left to Last Moment
to Prevent Public From Expressing
opposition-canal Commission Com
pelled to Enlist Aid of President Of
Panama in Solving Labor Problem.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence.
Washington, June Equalization re-
Gently in various, quarters ofsreports
that there is still a purpose in putting
a revenue duty on coffee, and probably
on tea, has served to arouse sharp in
terest and some pointed inquiries. No
body in authority is disposed to admit
that there is now any definite plan to
place the two beverages under con-
tribution; but there is intimation that
this will be done if it shall become nee
essary in order to end all uncertainty
about the revenues.
That is to say. when the schedules of
the tariff bill are about made up and it
is possible to do so, an estimate of the
revenue will be made for the use of the
republican members of the finance
committee. If that estimate indicates
that the receipts are not going to be
sufficient to take care of the govern
lnent's necessities, then there will be
possibility of deciding on either OF
several courses for making up the re-
malnder. One plan is an income tax,
Which has strong support, and is de-
terminedly opposed by Senator Aid
rich. Another is an inheritance tax; a
third, tax on the receipts of corpora
tons which President Taft is under
stood to favor; and finally, there is the
tax on tea and coffee, which is reported
to be in first favor with the finance
committee, as means of heading off
the income takers.
The coffee and tea tax proposal, it is
explained, is being held back and kept
away from the public at this time in
order to prevent an outburst of oppo-
sition. The committee does not want
to resort to such measure, for it is
realized that such a measure would be
very unpopular. 1t will only be under
taken II absolutely necessary to
make UP the revenue total to a
point which win do away with all ex-
cuse for an income tax. Some strong
interests in New York imported a vast
amount of coffee on the understanding
that duty was to be levied on it, Ii
the duty goes ont is expected 10 be
fixed at 8 or cents per pound if
adopted at all-this immense impor-
tation of coffee will sell at prices in
creased by the amount of the duty, and
the speculation viii net big thing to
the people who organized it, Conse-
quently there is strong pressure for
this solution of the revenue problem.
The people who favor an income tax
are watching the tea and coffee matter
carefully, and the first move for the
tax on these necessaries will call forth
howl of protest and Of demand thai
incomes of the RICH instead of neces-
saries of life. shall bear the additional
burden.
The 1sthmian canal commission has
been compelled to enlist the co-opera-
ton of President Obaldia, of Panama,
! in an effort to prevent the depletion of
the laboring force on the canal zone.
President Obaldia has issued decree
regulating the business Of employment
agencies and labor contractors, in or
der to put an end to the shipment of
laborers out of the zone
Various interests in search of labor
In the Caribbean region have discoy-
cred that the canal zone is a good
source of labor supply. The men who
have been brought there to work on the
canal have become habituated to in
dustry and discipline, and are desira-
Bile beyond the unframed labor of that
region. Therefore employment agen.
cies have been set up in the Panama
territory and many of the canal la
borers have been induced to leave by
promises of larger pay and more salts
factory conditions of work This has
reached the point where interference
has become absolutely necessary. MANY
of the laborers have been leaving on
their own account; and the West In
dian sources of new supply for labor do
not so easily provide it as formerly,
Therefore President Obaldia sets forth
in his decree that employment agen-
cles must be licensed by the Panama
government, and must give ample
bond to assure that they will not vio-
late the terms Of their license; this
bond to be forfeited in case of irregular
operations. Under the license such
!agencies are permitted to engage and
export no persons who are under con-
tract to work for the canal commission
or other contracting employers on the
zone.
President obaldia points out that tho
interests of Panama and the United
States in the construction and earl,
completion of the canal are identical
and beyond this Panama needs to in.
crease its population by the addition Of
good and desirable citizens. Panama
has aspirations to become great en-.
trepot of world commerce, and be.
lieves that in a few years after the ca.
nal is opened it will be one Of the rich.
est little nations in the world. It viii
need population, and is not lookins
with favor on projects for shippinf
away its people.
| The report that President Roose.
1 1