New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-11
MAY KILL INCOME TAX
Assembly Judiciary Committee 10
Advocate Substitute Plan.
SUGGESTION BY A. G. FoH
Proposed Amendment Also Wy
posed by Mr.. Fish, Mr.. Li''ie
field and Mr.. Prendergas''

Tel
a.. Indications now are
,hs. me Legislature OF TINS S'a'o .,'..io,,
-st,fv the federal income TAX '.oo'' ..,,,I,.
1-ouovinc n nearing before the 49,.
Judiciary Committee thus .,,
todv drafted and virtually oeC'"e" ~
vocafe a resolution a a SUBSTITUTE ,V'
amendment 20 the federal 'o''S
sdorted bv Congress. THIS reso'u'
arnropr.ate action on IL viii oe coi'''''
,r~,heY. a. a future meeting. Us u "o" -
.brased IL would except from 'dN" ''O''
st,te and county bonds or lns1rui''ei'''l'
,ies would provide for uniform TAX RAJ
&C.. OH the states and would eliminate
IRON, ,be resolution adopted by Congress
tie phrase IRON whatever source oe-
rived"
The action of The Assembly committee
was suggested 70 IL by Austen r. FoN'
who. with many men representing oahKihs
Interests. appeared before the committee
srainst the resolution. Besides large
number Of savings bank officials the dele
cation Included Stuyvesant Fish. eX-Con-
oreesman Charles F. Littlefed. Controller
p~endergast Of New York city and eX-
controller Edward NJ Grout While MT.
tov Is prominent as n corporation lawyer.
~ said during his speech that not a single
nan who appeared at the hearing came
,ne-s rs the representative OF any interest.
Austen G. Fox's Argument
..r know that when lawyers generally ap-
rsar A. these hearings" ne said. they are
,sN BIZ the interests which send them, but
nat is NOT 50 with Us to-day Not single
ian IS being paid for appearing AZ this
caring We have come here as indivld-
as 70 voice our protest against the pro-
-ossd income tax resolution"
n Fox took the position that ne was
-9t against the principle of a tax on ~
cones. hui r. should not act as tax on
s-ate and runicipal bonds or instrumen-
faHres and II should he uniformly appor-
toned among the various states. lie said
-ra- rnder the measure in its present form
&c states would confer on the federal gov
eminent -he right 20 impose Il tax On in
cones from whatever source derived and
g. any rate IL saw IT, He declared that
.r. West and south we're already combined
a-sirst the Last in forcing through the in
come tax. Another point in his argument
va that New York state with its vast
wealth ard incomes. would pay the greats
part or the tax and the Western States
would DC the principal benefciaries.
w1en Chairman Levy called Mr.. Fox's
attention 20 the pledge in the Democratic
r'atfo~m favoring an income tax. the
s-e ker read the planks IL various Demo-
sc-at- state platforms as compared with
f'7st Of New York State In the other
ststee the plank read that the party in
ecrseG the resolution favoring q tax on
Incomes" while i0 the New York State
platform r. read. q resolution, favoring a
rax or incomes" For this reason. he held
The Democratic platform did not bind the
Democratic majority in the Legislature to
rdo-se ne particular resolution adopted
by Congress. hut would fulfil IRIS party
pledge iudorsing the principle Of an income
tax
Under those circumstances he said
'Tav cant this committee point the way
.reasserti1g its belief in an income tax,
s-4,lng that IL favors such an income in
.-.re @ war or emergency. but insisting
that theer be excepted theref-om all in
s--unertalities OF state and city govern
0e7t. and that the tax shall he uniform"
M Fox expressed the belief the amend
Tenr would be rejected # the New York
legislature did not 20 hack on the action
g. took last wear in defeating the resolu-
ton
NJ. Fox read letters opposing the resoIu-
ton from Joseph =. Choate, Nicholas Muir
-av Butler. of Columbia University: Will
am .. Guthrie. Judge Clearwater. Or. An
drew n. White. ex-president Of Cornell
University. and others.
Stuyvesant Fish made a sort but very
emphatic speech against the proposition
lie said Il was an abuse when imposed
during the Civil War, and that New York
state could not afford to give the federal
government ne power 10 levy on IFS in
comes. He held that the state needed all
the money 81 possessed itself
'Tr Is sad 10 look forward 70 what VIII
happen" re said. "tf this amendment Is
adopted"