The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-09-01

proper tar1u rates In accord Win the
principle stated IN the Republican plat
form is In securing reliable evidence as
to the difference between tie cost Of pro
duction at home and the cost OF pre-
duction abroad.
The commission, however, already Sc
lected and at work. Is a commission OF
disinterested persons who will ascertain
the facts.Snot IN a formal hearing by ex-
animation and cross examination of wit
nesses, but by the kind of investigation
that statisticians and scientific iDvestiga-
tors use. When the commission c6fhpletee
tts work, either on theaentire tariff or on
any of the schedules In respect TO which
issue has arisen, ana the work OF the
commission shows that the present tariff
is wrong and should be changed.I expect
to bring the matter to the attention Of
nlent Of the tariff In that particular or
course. THIS will be imprseticable unless
congress itself shall adopt the parlia-
mentary rule as I hope it will, that a
bill 70 amend one schedule OF the tariff
may not be subject TO motion TO amend
by adding changes in other schedules.
1t win thus be possible to take up a
single schedule with respect to which II
In probable that great majority of each
house will be unprecedented, 20 submit the
evidence. and TO reach "a fair conclusion.
For these reasons 1t seems to me that
all Republicans-conservat progressive
and radical-fnay wen abide the situation
with respect to the tariff until evidence
now being accumulated shall justify
changes In the rates: and that IL Is much
better for them to vote for Republicans
than to help create a Democratic major
ity which would be utterly at war with
the protective 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 neces-
sary appropriation for the commissions
work. gne2~.5 .f1Sa@-= 10. T' ..h1' -r'f
One great virtue in the new tariff law,
including the corporation tax, Is, that Ia
ken with the earnest effort of the ad-
ministration to keeu down or reduce gov
ornamental expenditures and to reform the
methods of collecting the customs rev.
enue, II has, by its revenue producing ca
pacity. turned deficit I'm the ordinary
operations Of the government Of $5s.0Oo00o
for the year ending June 80 1903, to a
surplus in the first fun year of the law,
ending Aug. s. 1910, of 100000. From a
revenue standpoint then. there can be no
controversy over the effectiveness Of the
new law.
The Corporation Tax
Again, the present law in Its corpora
ton tax imposes new Kind or tax which
has many OF the merits OF an income tax.
II taxes success, not failure. Unlike a
personal income tax, ii is easily and eX
actIy collected, and by an increase. or
decrease In the rate enables congress
with exactness TO regulate its income 70
Its necessary expenditures.
The next most important work OF the
present congress was the passage OF the
amendment to the interstate commerce
bill. The Republican platform favored
amendment to the Interstate commerce
act with a view TO giving greater power
to the interstate commerce commission ip
regulating the operation of railroads and
the fixing of traffic rates. and also ia
Vored such national legislation and SUPER
vision as would prevent the future over
issue OF stocks and bonds by the inter
state carriers. After the adjournment of
the congress at its extra session. in
vited two of my cabinet. member Of the
interstate commerce commission and
member of congress to make recommen-
dations as to- the needed amendments to
the Interstate commerce act. These gen.
tlemen reported to me and in September
last, In speech In Des Moines, I fore
shadoweds their recommendations as In
tended to make them to the congress for
the amendment OF the Interstate COM
merce act: ~
Interstate Commerce.
First, by the establishment of a COM
merce court; second, by empowering the
commission to classify merchandise as
well as to fix rates for classes; third, by
giving the right to a shipper to desig
nate the route by which his goods shall
be transported beyond the line of the ini-
tial carrier; fourth, by empowering the
commission TO consider the justice or in
justice OF any rate without the complaint
or Initiation of a shipper; Nth, by en-
towering the commission to suspend pro-
posed increases of rates by carriers until
the commission shall have a chance to
pass upon the reasonableness of the in
crease; sixth, by provisions for the fed
eral regulation of the issue OF stocks and
bonds by interstate railways seventh, by
q clause forbidding an interstate COM
merce railway company from acquiring
stock in competing road; eighth, by
section permitting the making Of traffic
agreements between competing railroads
limited in point of time and subject mat
ter, and subject to the approval of the
interstate commerce commission.
These amendments were in accordance
with the text of the Republican platform.
subsequently, bills were drawn embody-
Ing this recommended legislation, in
which, while the principle was main
tanned, there were limitations introduced.
as justice suggested. after a conference
was submitted to the congress and after
a great deal OF discussion both in the
house and the senate 1t was enacted into
law, with many amendments which did
not materially change the effect of the
recommendations except to strike out GER
tain provisions promised In the RepublI-
can platform. to permit traffic agreements
between railways In spite OF the anti
trust law, TO forbid one railway company
to acquire stock in a competing company,
and to secure supervision by the inter-
state commerce commission OF the Issue
OF stocks and bonds by interstate rail-
ways rss7' -.- 20 l1.t q t7ri
For this last was substituted provision
authorizing the appointment of a COM
mission to consider the evils arising from
the over-issue Of stocks ana bonds. and
the methods OF preventing such evils by
congressional regulation. .... .--., -,
Postal Savings Bank Bills.
10 The postal savings bank bill has a
similar history, 1t Is one OF the great
Congressional enactments. 1t creates
an epoch. It Institutes a system which
will work effectively to promote
thrift among the poor, by providing
q depository for their savings which
they properly may consider absolutely
safe, land willie also turn into the chan
nels of trade and commerce a large
volume of money which otherwise
would be boarded BY specific provi-
sions IL will stimulate the investment
Of savings In government bonds OF
small denominations. for which the bill
provides. Like the tariff bill ana the
railroad bill this was putl Through