The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-04-02
INDICATIONS ARE THAT COR
PoRATloN TAX MEASURE
WILL BE AMENDED.
SLIGHT CHANGE MADE
Lower Branch OF CONGRESS- Alters
Provisions Relative to MAKING Re.
turns Open to inspection and Belief
Is That Change viii Be Forced
Through With the Enactment Of Bill.

Washington. April i.--That the cor
poratlon tax law viii be amended to
restrict the operations Of its publicity
feature was virtually assured today
when the house slightly amended a
provision previously adopted by the
senate for that purpose. As passed
by the hous" today. the law provides:
AN corporation tax returns shall be
open To inspection only upon the or
der of the president under rules and
regulations 10 be prescribed by the
secretary OF the treasury and ap-
proved by the president"
As previously provided by the SEN
ate such corporation tax reports were
to "be made public when called for
by resolution of the senate or the
house of representatives or under the
order of the president when he de-
sires II for public interests"
The senate and house conferees
soon Will meet I'm an effort to agree
upon the publicity amendment, In
which the views of both branches will
be harmonized.
Just before the subject was dis
posed of. Mr.. Fitzgerald of New York
attempted To get a direct vote upon "a
motion to recommlt the bill under
| consideration with instructions for the
committee on appropriations to report
II with an amendment repeating the
Payne-Aldrch tariff law BY strict
party vote of $50 To ll6. In which the
insurgents lined up with the regular
republicans, point of order against
Mr. Fltzgerald's motion was sustained.
Fhe amendment adopted by the house
today was introduced by Mr.. Gillett
of Massachusetts. Under the terms
of his amendment Mr.. Gllett said he
thought the president would rule that
records of corporations OF use and
value tn the public should be made
public. He said he thought the ma
jority OF corporation returns ought
not TO be made public. as they should
not be open 10 the inspection of rival
firms. Mr.. Fitzgerald. combating the
Gillett amendment. said he was In
favor OF the fullest publicity of all
corporation affairs, and he offered an
amendment providing simply that re-
ports required by the corporation tax
law shall be open to public inspec-
ton and approprating $4,000 or
more TO classify such reports. etc.
Out Of Hole.
This amendment" said Mr.. Clark
of Missouri. referring to the Gillett
provision, should be entitled AN
amendment To get the republican
party cut of hole Under this pro-
vision no one will have access to
THESE reports of corporations except
the president and his advisers, which
Is dangerous proposition Human
nature has been the same since tho
time Adam and Eve We're driven from
Paradise and In the course of time
somebody might use this information
for political purpose
Mr. Payne said publicity should not
he accorded in respone to mere curl
oslty and he believed the Gillett
amendment would accomplish all de-
srable publicity
Mr. Hitchcock of Nebraska sug-
gested the head of the department In
which the information on incorpora-
tions bad been gathered had become
the head OF the republican campaign
committee two years ago and the
great trust buster of Iowa, Wade
Ellis, had been taken from the pros
ecution of corporations and placed
IN charge of the campaign In Ohio,
Those examples OF activity in politics
of men who possessed information re-
garding corporations he said, should
be remembered when considering
pending legislation. Mr. Sherley OF
Kentucky, parting company with his
party associates. declared the pub
llcity feature of the corporation tax
law could not be defended
Benign President.
Mr. Harrison of New York reminded
the house that while the present oc-
cupant of the White House was a
benign president, the time might
come when he would be IA 'malign
president" and then the danger of
trusting 10 him alone 10 make public
these corporation meters would be
seen.
The previous question was ordered
by a vote of 143 to TO- the ''insur-
gents" voting with the regular repub-
iicans. BY vote of i32 to ie3 MIR.
Gilletts substitute was adopted.
Mr. Fitzgerald introduced sensn-