The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-12-26

days later the bill went into effect:
and, whether due to the new bill, or to
the resumption or general prosperity,
coincident with the year itself, the
government revenues manifested
marked Increase shortly after the new
rates went into erect.
New American Legislative Features.
Two features OF the new bill have
been dwelt upon by its friends both In
and out of the administration as being
new and OF great Importance. One Is
the provision for a tax upon corpora
lions. and the other was the authoriz-
alton for the appointment OF tariff
commission. which should assist the
President in determining how to en-
force the maximum and minimum fea-
lures OF the bill, and TO collect and
prepare data for use in future tariff
Legislation. The President named as
the members Of this commission Prof.
Henry G. Emery James b. Reynolds
and Alvin Fl. Sanders. He defended
the corporation tax as affording "a
means Of carrying out the publicity
policies inaugurated under Roosevelt
Another piece of Taft-recommended
legislation that developed during the
tariff deliberations was the passing OF
an Authorization for a vote of the
states on an income tax amendment to
at once acted upon In the State of
Alabama. where 1t was unanimously
approved by the legislature and signed
by the governor by August 9th. Mr.
Taft received the cordial support OF
William ]. Bryan, who issued public
William j. Bryan, who issued public
call to Democrats to aid In the pass
ing of the amendment and the enforc-
| Ing Of the corporation tax Inciden-
tally Mr.. Bryan severely excoriated
the Democrats who detected in the
matter of the speakership and cast the
deciding votes for Mr.. Cannon.
This fight over the speakership was
really the start In both houses. OF a
serious division of attitude among the
Republicans over the proper way OF
revising the tariff. Certain Republic
cans In the House, who had rebelled
during the previous sessions of Com
lgress against 4he domination of the
speaker, crystallized into strong and
united group at the outset of the ex-
ira session and only missed defeat
ing Joseph g. Cannon for reelection
through support given to the latter
by some detecting Democrats. In the
Senate, the detection was based not
SO much on the question OF rules as
on q protest against what was called
the schedule" of those interested in
putting through tariff drawn for
special interests. Senator's La Toilette,
of wisconsin, Bristow, of Kansas, Nell
son, OF Minnesota, Beveridge, of In-
diana, and Dolliyer and Cummins, of
Iowa, led the movement. Together
with the dissident Republicans in the
House, they became known as the 'in-
surgents," and, when Congress ad-
| sourned, they carried their insurec-
ton out into their home districts. As
| the year closes, the great agricultural
states of the middle west constitute a
battle ground for the so-called insur-
| gents and their opponents, led by
| Speaker Cannon. who is being made
the principal object of attack on the
part of the insurgents.
] Sufhcient time had not yet elapsed
| when the year closed to determine the
| ultimate fate of the new British bud
] get or the ultimate effect of the new
| American tariff But the fact that sc
Imperative a necessity for increased
| revenue existed in two of the worlds
largest governments-v-inf fact. in three
II Germany be uded'-perhaps
placed the question of the finances OF
government In the fourth rank among
| the years developments.
The years Municipal Problems.
1 Nor was the Importance of the sub
ject in any wise descended by the fac
| that the game issue arose In municipa
/ and state governments. During the
year. the states of Michigan and o.
Georgia ran so short Of cash as to be
unable. for a time, to meet current
bills as they came due. Several othel
states barely escaped q similar predtc
ament. In the metropolis of the
country, New York City, an extraordi-
nary confusion arose over the state
~. g.
ton OF whether the debt limit SHOULD
be raised. and finally over the politi.
cal question of whether there should
be q vital change In the city, admin
istration. In the campaign for ma
yorality, business man. Otto T. Ban
nard, was nominated by the Republic
cans and Fusionists, and, though M
was defeated, the board, of estimat'
on the same ticket with him was sue
cessful. and. in effect, the finances o
the city, which will spend billion
dollars in the next four years, wer
taken out of the hands of Tammany
which had so long administered them
Similarly. in Chicago. there was |
comprehensive attempt to re-organiH
finances. The movement was led b.
a professor of the University of Chi
cago, c. E. Merriam, who had beai
elected at the spring polls to tn
board of alderman, ana finally tool
form in the appointment of commit
tee to investigate conditions and re
port on proposed methods of revision
The committee had only begun 1t
work when the year closed, but tn
, result of its inquiries were foreshad
owed by an announcement from cit,
officials that the payroll for 1910 woul
probably be cut by about $1,500,00o
Two concrete efforts were made t
rectify financial conditions in the var
lous states. Indeed, the years thought
among the American people. outsid
of such as were devoted to tariff, ap
peared to concentrate on city govern
ment. Not only were finances careful
ly needed in the latter respect. bu
the cause of commission government.
hy which radical changes are effecte,
In the method of city administration
made rapid advancement. Government
by commission was adopted in Ar
: kansas City, San Diego, Wichita, an
other cities, and In Minnesota and Wis
, consinl legislative authorization wa
issued to cities of certain class to al
ter their administration to conform Il
this new plan. Des Moines, Ia, which
/ was one of the pioneers of the plan
reported during the year that an an
nual dehcit of $4,000 had been con
verified into an annual surplus of $40.
600; and this alone did much to stimu
late interest.
As a part of the movement for bet
ter conditions in our cities. which hav
to bear the brunt OF the burden o
making aliens over into Americans
much attention was given to the crtti
cal subject of immigration, exclusion
and deportation of immoral person.
being one of the provisions of the Am