Evening star., 1915-02-06

The directors of the Chamber of COM
merce of the United States are today
arranging at national headquarters in
the Riggs building to conduct a refer
endum on the ship purchase bill now
before the Senate, and other questions
involved in the report of its committee
submitted at the convention of the or
ganization which came to an end last
night at the New Willard Hotel. In
cluded in these questions, and incor-
porated in the memoranda to be sent
out for the referendum, is the subject
of government ownership. and the pos
sibility of the government lending
money to a private corporation for the
financing of shipping corporation.
At the close of the convention John
H Fahey of Boston was reelected
president, and other officers were
chosen as follows:
Honorary vice presidents-Harry A.
Wheeler, Chicago; A. B. Farquhar,
York, Pa.
Vice presidents-Robert F. Maddox,
Atlanta, Ga; Henry L. Corbett. Port
land, Oreg (Both re-elected)
Treasurer-John Joy Edison, Wash
ington, D. c.
Chairman of executive committee-R.
G. Rhett, Charleston, S. c.
To Confer With President.
In addition to the resolution adopted
for the creation of committee to
cooperate with the new federal trade
commission, reported in yesterday s
Star, the convention adopted resolu-
e., int nf
committee to confer with President
Wilson about obtaining such an inter-
pretation- of existing law or the en-
actment of legislation to permit expert
trade combinations; condemning the
DIETRICH amendment to the army ap-
preparation bill, SO far as it prevents
the study Of methods of increased in
dustrial efficiency in manufacturing es-
Adjustments, and continued in eX-
istence a committee to study price
cutting.
The convention also adopted. a reso-
luton protesting against any inter
p.etation of the income tax law which
denies to the taxpayer the rlght to
deduct from his income losses arising
from transactions the profits from
which it is his duty to include; ana
that the president of the chamber ap-
point a committee to present the reso-
luton to the Treasury Department and
to present arguments for reconsidera-
ton of its present rulings on this
point: and further. that in the event
the department does not see it's way
clear to grant relief from this unjust
burden the directors Of the chamber
take such action as is necessary to
bring the subject to the attention of
Congress, and to secure, II possible,
amendment OF the law, which Will pre-
vent the taxation of income which
does not in fact exist by allowing
the deduction from taxable income Of
all losses however incurred, actually
sustained during the taxable year.
Permanent Tariff Commission.
Another resolution. asking for the
creation of a permanent tariff commits
sion, sets forth that in order to avoid
the complete disturbance of business
which invariably follows a general re-
vision of the tariff, We believe that
permanent tariff commission for the con-
tinuous study of the subject would be
organized, with sufficiently stable tenure
of Office to- be Independent of all political
consideration. All information secured
by such commission should be available
to either house of Congress and 10 the
President, should be confined to ascer-
tanned facts, and should exclude recon-
mendations unless called for
Another resolution was adopted faVor-
ing a national budget.