The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-22
Deaf to Pleas for Repeal
of Corporation Tax
Measure.
APPEALS COMING
TO WHITE HOUSE
In Face Of Presidents Refusal
Many Corporations Will Re-
fuse to Make Returns, and
Fight Fines in Courts.
Baking at Publicity
Feature.

Washington. February 21.-The cor
urge President Taft to recommend the
repeal of the corporation tax law.
claiming that 1t is seriously prejudi-
cial to their business and will ruin
many of them If its publicity features
are enforced.
The Presidents answer is firmly
against the request. I'VE must give
the law O. fair trial" is what he says.
II the trial reveals that the law will
not accomplish what was expected, the
President may be willing TO consider
the subject of repeal, but he has no
such thought now. He Is convinced
that the law will do what 1t was in
tended-furnish the government with
needed revenues and important facts
as to the business Of the big concerns
One of the requests for repeal was
put up to the President to-day by
Representative Sterling, OF the seven
teenth Illinois District. He handed
the President telegram signed by
thirty-six corporations in Bloomington,
ILL.,, asking that the chief executive
recommend the repeal OF the law.
The action of the Bloomington cor
poration does not, 1t is SAID, correctly
represent the general sentiment OF the
corporations in all parts of the coun-
try. Although they would like to see
the law repealed they do not believe 1t
|. is wise politics to make such a request
now They are unanimous, however,
in seeking to nullify the publicity pro-
visions of the law, which. for the pres
ent at least, viii be nuliified by rea-
son of lack of an appropriation to
carry out the laws mandates.
May Not Make Returns.
Officials OF the government hear
many rtimors as TO the attitude of the
corporations in making their returns
under the law. These returns must be
In tho hands OF collectors OF internal
revenue throughout the country BY
March i. Those failing to comply with
the law Will be subject to heavy fines.
There are indications that many cor
porations win ignore the law and
carry the question of fines to the
United States courts, hanging UP the
! final payments Of fines and taxes
until the courts pass upon the consti-
tutionality of the law. BY doing this
they Will escape for the present the
revealing OF their business.
It is authoritatively known that some
OF the biggest corporations in the
country have been pondering over the
advisability of refusing to make re-
turns and fighting the question of fines
Here and there are corporations which
| hold that any revealing of their bus
| mess would injurc them to the extent
/ of thousands of dollars-many time:
more than the fines imposed. Thei1
only reluctance is in being held up as
yiolators of the law
Treasury officials have told the Pres
ident that there may not be anything
like general compliance with the Law
in the matter Of returns, the inforna
ton being that the corporations ar
hopeful OF having the law declared
unconstitutional. Commissioner Cabell
of the Internal Revenue Bureau, ha
| sent instructions to internal revenue
collectors to notify the corporation
of the penalty they will incur by fail
| ing to ma..e returns upon the banks
furnished them for that purpose.