The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-03-16
IS FORCED
To WAGE FIGHT ALONE


Continued from Page Nine.)
The corporations never did like that
tax. but as the months rolled by il de
EeIoped that their objection was chiefly
to the publicity feature. 1t is MANY
years since sucn a campaign Of corpora
tlon protest was made to senators and
representatives. In the big mauutac-
turing states II was intense and per
sl>teut. some Of the politicians Thought
II poFteuded the overthrow Of Republic
can rule IN their States next November.
There We're weeks and weeks Of deliber-
alton over the situation. some one
found there was an old law that Dis
trict OF Columbia employees could not be
used for work in the departments. The
statute seems to have been forgotten.
1t was also suggested that the aupro-
priatlon OF 100000 for carving the
corporation law into effect could not
legally be used in the District Of Co
IumbIa and that II the returns Of the
corporations regarding their receipts
and expenditures were to be made pub
lie, they would be court records. As
court records they could be opened TO
the public only through District of Co
lumbia officials.
Therefore great need Of an additional
appropriation of $4,000. The President
wrote a letter to the secretary Of the
treasury setting forth these facts and
the acting secretary of the treasury
wrote a letter to Speaker Cannon set
ting forth the same facts and asking
for an appropriation Of $4,000. That
looked we'll on the surface, but the
bug men IN senate and house were say
ing tWenty-f0ur hours before the letters
We're made public that a way had been
found to nullify the publicity feature
and that the appropriation of $4,000
would never be made. There has been
a great political hullabaloo over the
matter. The Democrats threaten to try
10 force the $4,000 item upon some
appropriation bill for the sake of put
ting the Republicans in hole, but the
fact remains that the corporations are
now satisfied they are safe from any
disadvantage which would accrue from
publicity.
To say nothing of the effect of this
action upon the President, it has not
increased popular confidence in the
sincerity Of Senator Aldrieh, the man
who is handling his administration
measures in the upper Legislative
branch. \ flaw was discovered some
weeks ago in the income tax amendment
to the constitution which Senator Al
drich and the President drew and favor
ed in connection with the corporation
tax. At least it was proclaimed as a
defect by Governor Hughes of New
York and it is now taken for granted
1,
amendment will never be ratified by
three fourths of the legislatures. There
fore the more progressive Republicans
are declaring that they have been
bunco1d, that the income tax, which
clearly had a small majority in the
senate, has been defeated by indirec-
ton. These critics insist that Senator
AIdrich knew all the while what he was
doing and that both the income tax
amendment and the corporation tax
were originally framed in the senate SO
as TO assure ultimately the very situa-
ton, which has now come about.
SO it is that when Senator Aldrich,
a member of the interstate commerce
committee, announced the other day
that he was for the interstate commerce
amendments, practically as the Presi-
dent turned them over to congress, there
was renewed suspicion abroad immedi-
ately. Senators and representatives, of
the progressive type, who might have
been disposed to favor the bill began
to scrutinizc it anew. They viii have
a big debate over it, when the bill
gets into the senate. They viii hammer
the bill, as they hammered the tariff
b.ll. They Will demand information
about every line and paragraph of the
measure. Probably they will be about
as successful in getting it as they were
with the tariff bill. That viii mean
a big fuss, delay and mucE difficulty
in reaching a final vote, The President
viii receive appeals from his allies
among tn" Republican regulars to bring
recalcitTauts to the White House Offices
and whip them into line.
And while all these proceedings are
taking place, the senate and house Will
be rushing through the program of APP
propria:.ou bills, just a. they have been
doing all this season. Whenever an
bill has doomed at the
top Of the legislative shutc. the ways
seem to have been creased. There
have been few annoying debates in
that connection. The house has been
getting through in record time The
senate has been swapping up these APP
bills carly and keeping
abtea~t. of the coordinate branch. That
is a. unusual as it is significant, An
o'dstcr u experience with house appro-
priat.on- said this week that congress
could almost adjourn by March.4 a. far
as these supply bills are concerned.
That undoubtedly means a deter