The Detroit times., 1909-07-16
WILL HIT SMALL
CORPORATIONS
With Clapp Amendment Removed
From Tariff Bill, Books o. Big
Companies Will Be Exempt.
sy gibson GARDNER.


prevail on these features OF the tarn'
legislation which is being discussed II
q conference committee Of the sena e
and the house:
The maximum and minimum Prov.
sion as perfected BY the Aldffeh eitf
The administrative features or the
&C: as perfected by the Aldrich bill
.a, gsThe corporation tax as perfected oy
the Aldrich bill.
The wool schedule as perfected by
the Aldrich bill.
Three-quarters OF the rates as at
present determined by The Dingley
Jaw.
Ten per cent OF the rates as re-
yised downward By the house bill.
In addition to the above, the presi-
dent is discussing the rates involved
in Is per cent OF the measure. While
the number of amendments 10 the
house bill is between 500 and goo,
the actual volume OF .ariffs which are
the subject Of controversy is small.
Any changes made in conference vii!
be confined to the 10 per cent Of the
duties which are increases over the
Dingley law.
President Taft says he does not pro-
pose TO take the public into his conf
dence while discussing rates with
members OF the conference commit
tee.
To 25 or 80 newspaper correspond
ents summoned to the white house oy
President Taft this matter was MADE
clear.
peonIe Never VIII Know
81 don't think IL would be proper,
said President Taft. Ito talk to the
confeFees through the newspapers
while | am talking to them person
ally
The public, therefore, never wal!
know. except possibly by gossip and
remote hearsay, what position Presi'
dent Taft has taken on any OF tne
schedules Which probably will be
Just as well for President Taft.
President Taft informed the news
paper representatives that he had de-
c!ded to oppose Senator Clapp's
amendment TO the corporation tax law.
Senator Aldrich was bitterly opposed
to the Clapp amendment. He accept
ed Ii only under pressure and after all
the ablest lawyers in the senate had
made speeches agreeing with Senator
Clapp that such an amendment was
the only wa ii which to avoid legal
izing holdins ompanies and granting
special favor to the biggest trust cor
porations in the country. The presi-
dert's opposition to the Clapp amend
ment means that the conferees will re-
port that feature of the bill as drawn
by Aldrich.
President Taft approves Aldrich's
maximum and minimum provision.
This vests a large measure OF discre-
ton In the chief executive. He is 10
decide when any nation "unduly dis
eliminates" against the United States
and can then impose the maximum
duties against that nation. This would
add 25 per cent to the Aldrich sched-
ules. OF course, this would mean that
all goods from such nation would
be kept out of the United States: the
competing producers in the United
States would have complete monop-
oily Of such lines, ann nobody would
suffer except the consumer.
Publicity Question Defined.
President Taft has told the news
paper representatives likewise that he
has no objection IL Aldrich desires to
cut down the tax on corporations from
per cent to / per cent. This will
probably be done. Aidrich says there
will be plenty Of revenue without this
tax, anyway; and the president says
that he is not SO much worried about
revenue as he Is about imposing the
tax on the corporation and thus in
surfing publicity for the corporations
books.
With the Clapp amendment re-
M "A 10
ing companies will be exempt from in.
spection and the only publicity will
be that which falls upon the little cor
poration which Is not engaged in the
business of tax lodging and monop-
oily.
In order to secure information Oh
the subject of the lumber duties the
president invited Joe Fordney. OF
Michigan. to breakfast. Joe Fordney
Is the pattest stander of them all. He
admits frankly that no duty can be too
high for him. Being in the lumber
business, he Is interested In getting
higher duties on lumber. He admits
II frankly. little inspiration from
Joe Fcrdney will enable President
Taft TO give the lumber trust the
finest plate or wheat cakes that has
yet come off the griddle.
Politics Not Considered.
At the solemn conference which
took place when Pre- sident Taft took
the newspaper correspondents limited
ly into his confidence reprobate
from the west shot this impertinencc
at him:
''Mr. President, h9 ~ about the wave
of opposition which, Is sweeping over
the west against the Aldrich bill?"
To which. without cracking a smile
the president replied
.'Is there any opposition In the MID.
die west? did not know it, am
handling this subject regardless Of
any political considerations
Wherenpon man a. the back broke
into loud guffaw, naturally suppos.
(. ing II was joke. His comrades
y punched him in The stomach ana
stopped the outburst
Competition In Voting Machines.
Competition for supplying Detroit
In.