Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-06-23
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
N. Guttebs

JdDL Phase Oh JN6 recent COUSlueld-
ton of the tariff bill has been the
presentation OF a proposition, favor
ed by President Taft, to impose a
tax of two per cent on the net earn
ings of corporations, and the deci-
sion of the Senate leaders to bring
in an amendment embodying the
Presidents idea, to be offered as a
substitute for the income tax propo-
sition. Only second in Importance
to this has been the engagement
reached by Senators Bailey and
Cummins on the income tax PROPOSE
ton, as a result of which there is
now before the Senate only single
income tax amendment which, in
brief, imposes tax of two per cent
on all income over $1,000 year, in
Guiding those of corporations, and
carrying provision for reimburse
ment to stockholders of corpora
tions, taxed under the law, whose
total incomes from ali sources are
less than $4,000 of the amount
which, as stockholders, they con-
tributed to the tax paid by the cor
poration.
According to recent Washington
dispatches, President Taft not only
advocates the tax on the not earn
ings of corporations, but is of the
opinion that all those who advocate
honest methods in corporations must
come TO realize the merits of this
proposition if they will but give it
due consideration. And he is said
to believe, also, that no better OPP
portunity could be afforded Con
gress to enact n measure which is
essential to the proper rounding out
Of the policies of the last administra-
ton, and will rebound to the greater
credit of the Republican party than
that now presented The advocates
Of this measure claim that it would
compel the filing by all corporations
OF statement showing precisely
what their net profits had been dur
ing the year; that falsfication of
such statements would he attended
by heavy penalties; that corporations,
being creatures of the people, their
existence could not be concealed, and
the necessity of verifying the accur-
acy of the statements so filed would
carry with il the privilege of examin-
ing the books of CORPORATIONS BY
federal officials The fact alone that
the proposition carries federal SUI
pervision OF corporations, would be
SUFFICIENT to commend it to all dis
interested persons, but the further
consideration that it is President
Taft's own proposition will give it an
added interest in the minds not only
OF both houses of Congress but in
these OF all loyal adherents of the
policies OF the last administration.
At the suggestion of President
TAFT, 1t Is reported, the Senate De-
partment has made public a state
ment expressing the qualification of
this government at the formation of
powerful and responsible financial
group to entertain the important
neld OF investment in China" The
@state Department, 1t is declared, is
giving the enterprise the cordial sup
port which 1t is ever ready to give
TO all legitimate and beneficial
American commercial and financial
Undertakings in foreign countries.
Great activity has been shown in
railway building in China since the
war China has
granted concessions to British, Ger
man, and French financial interests
TO build railway lines, and money has
been borrowed abroad for the pur-
chase of the line between Picking
and HaDkow from the financiers
operating it. 1t is well known that
President Taft is deeply interested
in China and in promoting the COM
mercial relations of the United States
and the Far East, and such under
takings because of their direct
benefit to American commerce and to
international relations" are to be
encouraged.
The latest innovation in the mod
ern battleship is the passenger ele-
yator Announcement is made that
the battleships Delaware, North Da-
kOta, Florida, and Utah, now build
ing, will each be equipped with three
passenger elevators, and probably,
too, the Arkansas and Wyoming.
contracts for which will be made this
summer. The elevators will be in
stalled IN the fireroom ventilator-
trunks, and will travel about twenty
one feet from the lower hanging
grating in the fireroom to the gun
deck, and each will be capable OF
lifting live load of about five hun
dred pounds in about thirteen Sec
onds, and they are to be operated
from the car by push buttons.