The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-25
WORKING OUT AN
 INCOME TAX BILL Taft Does Not Favor t Now But Will Consent to Il Later CANNON IGNORES NEW RUES Rules of the House Presented By Fitz- gerald and Adopted Over Can
 non's Head Do Not Have
 Chance With Him.
CANNON IGNORES NEW RUES
By WArTERsoN sTEALEY.

Washington, March 24-(Special.) )-Plenty of talk about income tax will be heard at the special session of Congress, but there will be no legislation to that end.
 This is the belief of members of Con- gress who have been giving the subject close attention. In the talks he has had with members of Congress, President Taft has made 1t clear he does not expect in come tax legislation this session. In fact, if the position of Mr. Taft is correctly understood by those who have been con- ferring with him, hesprefers to have the income tax matter go over for the pres ent He does not want 1t complicated with the tariff, and would prefer consd eration of 1t at the regular session. In the meantime he Is anxious to have the matter investigated and agitated.
 Representative Stevens of Minnesota has had number of talks with the President about an income tax He was at the White House today for that purpose. Stevens made one trip to New York to talk with leading attorneys there about an income tax at tile request of the Pres ident
 President Taft has had an income tax bill drawn by Attorney General Wicker sham and MT. Stevens is now going over it. As soon as 1t can be shaped to suit the President and those with whom he has been consultingit it will be introduced by Mir. Stevens.
 This will be dons. not in the hope that it will be passed this session, but to get some tangible proposition before Congress and to have something before the coun- try which can besdsed as the basis for campaign of education.
 MT. Stevens is cdnvinced that an income tax is feasible. ! e holds however, that the bill should n. drawn so that the SUI preme court can knock out separate sec- tions without invalidating the bill as whole.
 Cannon Ignores New Rules.
 The House had occasion today to see how the new amendments to the rules would work in practice, and there was not a bit of surprise when Speaker Can non declined to entertain a motion that the House proceed along the lines laid down in the rules offered by Representa- tive Fitzgerald and adopted by the House.
 Under the new rules every Wednesday except the last two, Wednesdays of each session shall be known as calendar Wednesday, and can be dispensed with only on two-thirds vote of the House.
 Immediately after the House met this morning, Mir. Payne, chairman of the ways and means committee, made a mo- ton that the House resolve itself in com mittee of the whole for the further con- sideration of the tariff bill. Mir Gardner of Massachusetts called attention to the fact that under the rules today is caen- dar day, and that. therefore, MT. Payne motion could not be entertained except by a two-thirds vote. MT. Gardner argued his point at length. and finally made a point of order against MT. Payne's mo- ton.
 Speaker Cannon, in overruling the point, said that in some circumstances he would refuse to entertain the motion of Mr. Payne, but that under the rules it would be possible to have call of committees, and that during this call the ways and means committee would be reached and the bill could then be called.
 "Inasmuch as the only committees now in existence" said the speaker, "are the committees on rules, mileage and ac- counts, little time would be lost in reach ing the ways and means committee, and as there Is no other business before the House. l do not think it necessary to go through the formality provided for in the rules.
 "Especially when you consider that the letter killeth. but the spirit maketh alive,'" concluded Uncle Joe"
 The HundIey Case.
 Alabama members of Congress who. are protesting against the appointment of Judge Oscar R. Hundey, of the Northern district of Alabama, calIed at the White House today. They told the President that they are willing to have appointed to the position Shelby Pleasants, w. H. Smith, or O. D. Street, all republicans. Representative Richardson, after the in- terview, expressed confidence that Judge Hundley would not be appointed The judge declared that Hundley was unfit for the position, and he seemed to think the President thought the same way about 1t.
 Senator Bankhead will probably have a conference with the President tonlor- row He is said to favor the appoint ment of Judge Altman of Sheffield for the position.
 HLII Hn m HNIT AMI