The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-29
business to transact.

with respect to the tariff until evidence
being accumulated shall justify changes
| In the rates; and that Ii is much better
for them to vote for republicans than to
help create a democratic majority which
would be utterly at war with the pro-
| tective principle and therefore would
have no use for the findings of the tariff
commission as we may certainly infer
| from the solid democratic vote in the
| present Congress against the necessary
appropriation for the commissions work.
Virtue of the New LAW
| zone great virtue in the new tariff law,
| including the corporation tax, Is that
| taken with the current effort of the adj
ministration to keep down or reduce gov
| ernmental expenditures and to reform the
methods of collecting the customs reve-
| nue., 1t has by its revenue capacity turned
| a deficiency In the ordinary operations of
| the government of $5S, 100000 for the year.
Ending June 80, 1909. to a surplus In the
| first full year OF the law ending August
5. 1910. of $26,000.000 From a revenue
standpoint, then, there can be no contro-
| very over the effectiveness of the new
| law.
Increased revenue indicates increased
imports, and an examination of our i'm
ports during the past year will disclose
a most substantial increase in manufac-
| turers, material from which, in the maxi
ing of finished products, whether for ex-
portation or home consumption. has come
a larger volume of employment for our
| wageearners, a larger purchasing power
and a greater consumption Of the prod
ucts of our farms and fabrications of our
| factories. So far, then, as such importa-
lions do not displace home production
they must be of benefif to ALL Generally
speaking, a full measure OF industrial
| activity In production, transportation and
distribution has accompanied the opera
ton Of the new law. Under the maximum
and minimum provisions we have con-
cluded treaties with all foreign nations,
gaining their best possible terms for en-
| trance to their markets without sacrifice
ing our own. BY the Payne tariff law we
have at last done justice to the Philip
pines by allowing the producers of those
islands the benefit of our markets with
such limitations as to prevent injury to
our home industries.
| New Kind of Tax
again, the present law In Its cor
poration tax imposes a new kind of tax
which has many of the merits of the In
come tax. 1t taxes success, not failure.
| Unlike a personal income tax it is easily
collected. 1t is an indirect but effective
method of keeping the government adj
vised as TO the kind of business done
| by all corporations. 1t Is one of the most
useful and important changes in our rev.
enue laws which the future will show.
THE next as important work for the
present Congress is the passage of an
amendment to the interstate commerce
bill. z. The republican platform favored
amendment to the interstate commerce
act with a view to giving greater power
| to the interstate commerce commission in
| ba of raj and
governing traffic rates and such super
vision as would prevent the future over
issue of stocks and bonds by interstate
carriers. A bill was drawn up embodying
amendments to the interstate commerce
acts which gave the commission this pow
| err, and after much discussion In the
House and Senate was enacted into law.
The bill as at present in force Is an ex-
celent bill. 1t is not enacted In spirit
of hostility to railroads, but 1t submits
| them to a close and more effective super
vision by the interstate commerce COM
mission to avoid injustice in their man
| agement and control.
THE postal savings bank bill has a SIM
| liar history
enactments. 1t creates an epoch 1t in
stitutes a system which will work effec-
lively to promote thrift among the poor,
by providing a depository for their saw
ings which they properly may consider
absolutely safe and will also turn into
channels of trade and commerce large
volume of money which otherwise would
be boarded.
1.-THE legislation of Congress In respect
| to the navy department Is a full COM
pliance with the promises of the republic
an platform. In spite of a proper de-
sire to keep down appropriations Con-
gress saw the necessity for continuance
| of our present naval policy and a regu-
lar strengthening of the navy by the
addition of two more battleships.'
Welfare Of Working Men
Here the President goes into enactments
by Congress looking to the welfare OF
the working men and women, mentioning
| the creation of the bureau of mines, to
| make less hazardous the duties of miners
and the creation of a congressional COM
| mission to report Impractical bill for the
fixing of workmen's compensation for in
juries received in the employment of
interstate commerce railways. This re-
| FORM the President says, would put an
end to the costly litigation through which
an injured employee must go in order to
recover damages.
"One of the great questions which has
been a national issue and aroused public
interest through the insistence of former
President Roosevelt, is that Of conserva-
| ton OF our national TtSOurCeS, FTesiueHt
Taft continued.
During Mr.. Roosevelt's administration
millions of acres of lands were withdrawn
In the United States proper and Alaska,
| in order to await proper legislation. The
present administration continued the ex-
| ecutive Withdrawals and suggested secur-
| Ing from Congress express power to take
them. BY republican maJorities In both
houses a withdrawal bill for this pur-
post was enacted and now over 100000 of
acres have been withdrawn.
Reclamation Projects
I'm addition to this, 1t was deemed
necessary in order that certain reclama-
ton projects Of the government should
that an issue Of s2o.o0o,ooo worth Of bonds
be made, There remains to be consid-
| cred and settled the question of the
method of disposition of these lands so
| the government may retain sufficient
control to prevent a monopoly In their
use and to secure the public against
| extortion for coal, oil, gas, phosphate or
waterpower on the one hand. and yet
may give a private capital sufficient in
| ducement to bring about a normal devel-
opment Of the wealth contained on these
lands to aid in the building up OF the
country Tt is not too much, however,
to say that the most important steps havo
been taken to ward proper conservation
Of our resources in the legislation Of the
present Congress"
| Statehood Enactment
| Among other pledges redeemed, Presi-
| dent Taft takes up the admission to state
hood of the territories of New Mexico
and Arizona, the enactment into law Of
a bill requiring the publication by the
congressional committees Of detailed
| &c - t,x,fh han,