Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-15
TAFT The CHIEF FACTOR
President Helping Conferrees
With Tariff Bill Details.
Republican Members of the Conn
mittees-Dcsirous to Have Corr
poration Tax Feature Retained.

A Washington special 70 the New York
Evening Post says: Some OF President
Tafts tariff views on specific features Of
the bills now In conference and the scope
OF his activities In participating with the
conferrees In framing the details OF the
new tariff law may be authoritatively set
forth. with permission:
Mr.. Taft Is holding daily conferences
with the Individual republican members
Of the conference committee. and dis
cussing with them the specific rates to
be imposed and favored In the confer
ence report on all important items In
the schedules. He had Representative
Fordney as his guest at the White House.
he had Senator Aldrich as a luncheon
guest. and ne met Senator burrows by
appointment after luncheon in tho
executive chamber.
Between breakfast and luncheon he
talked with Senator Cannon and Senator
La Toilette. All of these meetings were
for the purpose of discussing specific
rates in the schedules. President Taft
has found the attitude Of the conferrees
concllatory, and they have shown de-
sire to pay great respect TO his wishes
Mr. Taft is not yet ready 10 make any
prediction about the extent to which his
recommendations and suggestions on
rates will be needed Nor will he allow
these recommendations and suggestions
to become public at this time. because
he prefers to talk to tho conferrees rath-
er than at them through the public prints
TAFT AND THE CORPORATION
Mr.. Taft will make no objection, II the
conference reduces the corporation tax
from per cent. TO per cent on tho net
earnings OF corporations. He ls concern
ed about the principle of the tax, and
the Incidental good II may do IN further
ing hin policy Of corporation control. rath-
er than IN the amount Of the tax. He
Will recommend TO the conference com
mttee the elimination OF the Clapp
amendment subiectinr holding com
pa mics" 10 the tax. Mr.. Taft is fully
persuaded that holding companies should
not pay this tax.
Tho President will urge the retention
Of the corporation tax In tho bill instead
Of the House plan for an Inheritance max.
because o. the men who deserted the IN
come takers to follow tho Presidents
message recommending a corporation tax.
Mr. TAFT feels that his duty is to stand
! by these men after they have come over
and accepted his leadership on the form
OF special taxation to be enacted.
WHERE TAFT FAvORs SENATE
| BILL,
| Broadly speaking, President Taft IL IN
cined to regard the administrative fea
lures OF the Senate bill az excellent At
torney-General Wickersham and Senator
Root had large share IN drafting this
part Of the traiT bill, and Mr.. Taft has
implicit confidence In their skill and Wis
dom. He more readily and truthfuly ac
cepts the work OF a LAWYER IN whom ne
| has confidence than he does the work OF
| any other man.
| Tho President regards the maximum
and minimum provisions OF the Senate
| bill as less drastic than the same pro
vision OF the House b!ll He therefore
favors this feature of the Senate bill az
against the House proposal.
| Senator Aldrtch and Mr., Payne have
| told the President that 1t would require
at least two weeks for the conference
| committee 20 agree upon and draft
port, barring unsupported bitches and
DELAYS. President Taft think. II will not
| take longer than that.
| TAFT BEJS1EGED BY CONGRESSMEN
AND DELEGATIONS
President TAFT Is being besieged almost
hourly by senators. representatives and
| delegations requesting him to urge upon
the conference committee the adoption
OF specific rates which they desire. To
none of these callers will Mr.. Taft give
any satisfaction. He will not say TO
these visitor. what rates Of duty he fav
ors on any item OF the schedules. That
information he reserves for members of
the conference
Twenty-six members OF the House and
senate came to the White House this
| morning before noon They all wanted
to talk tariff with Mr.. Taft, Senator
La Toilette urged the President TO
champion specific rates on certain or the
larger schedules to which tho Wisconsin
senator has given most attention and
which have been advanced too. BY the
| Senate.
While Mp. TAFT refuses TO predict the
color and nature Of the conference re
| port and while he refuses 20 say definite
~ whether the conferrees ara adopting
hts suggestions without dissent. ne has
not lost his smiling good hunor, or hi.
apparent lack OF concern over the pros
pect OF having hts campaign pledges re-
deemed. In fine. Mr., Tan is now in the
thick Of the renl making of the new tar
,T. He is consulting and being consult
ed AZ to the framing Of the schedules and
the fixing OF rates Of duty on specific
items He Is the most important factor
IN the conference committee. The con-
ferrees representing the House and Sem
ate will not make any report OF a bill
that does not meet Mr. Taft's approval
Tho President has assumed the fun bur
den Of his responsibility. Before the con-
forces agree on any Important schedule
II Is submitted to Mr.. Taft.
PRESIDENT RErICENT AS TO DE
TAILS
Put, beyond letting It be known that
tho attitude Of the conferrees was con-
c!latory, Mr. Taft has not disclosed the
| specific rates that have met his suGgcs-
lions. Indeed. the President Is DESTROYS
that the details Of his relations with the
conferrees should not become a matter
of public discussion through any speeches
Of his He prefers to deal directly. and
by word OF mouth. with tho representa-
tives Of the Senate and House, rather
than to have his wishes disclosed to
them through the medium of congress-
men not members OF the conference, or
through newspapers.
1t Is probable. while the tariff law II IN
Its last vital formative stage. that Presi-