NEWS WORTH REMEMBERING
News Worth Remembering FOR THE first time in forty-three years—nearly half a century—the Constitution of the United States has been amended. Last week when the income tax amendment "was ratified by...
...Attorneys for the Harvester trust are urging President Taft to withhold the details of the report from the public until the pending anti-trust suit against the corporation has been ended...
...Now For the Income Tax Congress is expected to take up immediately an income tax bill...
...Since then it is said the parent corporation has been increased by the acquisition of the Osborne Company and other organizations, through which the concern has spread its business to various subsidiary lines, such as farm wagons, gasoline and alcohol engines, cream separators, tractors and manure spreaders...
...The project was again submitted in December, 1909...
...Immediately following the filing of an anti-trust suit in Detroit a decree was entered terminating the agreements insofar as they fix the price of unpatented lasts and dissolving a club through which the alleged violation of the Sherman law was accomplished...
...Providing state aid to open thousands of acres of Kansas lands to settlement through irrigation...
...The government wants to know whether any of the former subsidiaries of the trust has created condi-tions responsible for the enormous rise and whether there has been any concerted action...
...Untermyer, the aged oil magnate gave indications of failing strength...
...The federal courts held they had no jurisdiction...
...Despite the fact that this decision rankled in the public mind and that agitation was immediately begun for an amendment to the Constitution that would give the people what the Supreme Court had denied them, it was nevertheless impossible to secure the passage of a resolution to this effect in a Congress controlled by a special privilege oligarchy...
...In 1894 the income tax was again passed by Congress as part of the Wilson bill to raise new revenues made necessary by the loss of tariff duties cut off by this free trade bill...
...Such a sum Is altogether beyond the means of their fellow mill workers...
...They have since been confined in Herkimer jail...
...Pacific...
...That is more than can be said for any other public institution ' aside from the public schools...
...All efforts to secure an extension of the franchise failed...
...Illness Cuts off Testimony of Wil- liam Rockefeller Illness cut short the testimony of William Rockefeller, brother of John D. Rockfeller, the oil king, when he was visited by Chairman Pujo and Samuel Untermyer, counsel of the House Money Trust investigating committee...
...Untermyer then announced they were satisfied that any further examination of Mr...
...Last week when the income tax amendment "was ratified by the legislatures of Delaware, Wyoming, New Mexico, and New Jersey, the necessary three-fourths of the states had acted favorably and the Sixteenth Amendment was incorporated into the fundamental law of the nation...
...A Long Fight The Sixteenth Amendment is unique in that it is the only one which had to be made in order to restore to the government a right previously held or exercised, but taken away by judicial interpretation...
...This is as if every person in town were to attend the theatre forty times a year...
...Authdrizing mill tax levy for support of three educational institutions and ending legislative lobbying by school officials...
...In July, 1910, bonds to the amount of $2,020,000 were issued...
...Rockefeller was impossible...
...The rise in price is being investigated by the Department of Justice in connection with its inquiry to determine whether the decree dissolving the Standard Oil Company, has been violated...
...17 for "inciting to riot...
...It is expected the entire forty-three cars will be ready by March 1. The franchise of the old Geary St...
...The United Railroads brought suits to restrain the city...
...New York City, with upwards of 400 theatres of all kinds, provides weekly sittings for about 3,000,000 people...
...Ratification of proposed amendment for direct vote of United States senators...
...Abolition of the state board of equalization...
...Efforts -were made in 1870 to keep in effect the income tax as the most just and equitable tax that could be devised...
...Socialist Speakers Await Trial The trial of the twenty defendants in the now famous Little Falls strike cases has been continued till March 1. Fourteen of the defendants have already been in jail since Oct, 31, and now must remain there there several weeks more, the amount of bail required being prohibitive...
...Information in possession of the department alleges that some of the big companies have a year's supply of crude oil in their tanks, and the present high price does not affect them, but is a burden upon smaller concerns...
...The resolution proposing such amendment was presented to Congress July 17, 1909, After passing both houses, it went to the states and now, nearly four years later, it is adopted...
...The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states and without regard to any census or enumeration...
...But the big fire came along, the records were destroyed, and it was necessary to use the money set aside for other urgent purposes...
...Former strikers have since organized a defense committee and are making an appeal for funds with which to fight the cases...
...Putting its state university, normal schools and agricultural college under one board of control...
...After attempting to answer the questions addressed to him by Mr...
...Then there was considerable legislation to hamper and harass the project...
...Park & Ocean railroad ran twenty-five years and expired in November, 1903...
...In 1907 another tax levy was made, but suit was brought by taxpayers and the tax was held invalid by the courts...
...In June, 1909, a bond issue was sub-mitted to the people for the third time, and again defeated...
...Sterilization of all habitual criminals and the insane...
...Madison one million two hundred thousand: Interpreting, we see that in cities of 25,000 and upwards the equivalent of the total population of the city attends the theatre once a week during forty weeks of the year...
...This time it is the boot and shoe last corporation which it is charged has fixed the price of practi-ally every last sold in the United States...
...These figures would roughly apply to every city in the United States of 25,000 and over...
...A shorter ballot...
...Report on Harvester Trust J. P. Morgan & Company received stock to the amount of $3,450,00 for their services and legal expenses in organizing the giant harvester trust...
...Progressive Republican Senators attempted to insert an income tax amendment into the Payne Aldrich tariff bill, but Senator Aldrich and President Taft by a subterfuge had a corporation tax slipped into the bill in its place...
...These facts are brought out in a report of the Bureau of Corporations just submitted to the President, according to an Associated Press report...
...The road was started with ten cars, affording a seven-minute headway, which will be reduced as more cars are completed...
...Chicago with 200 theatres and amusement halls seats 1,500,000 a week...
...municipal railroad, 1290.75...
...This is the trust that was "dissolved" by the Supreme Court...
...This amendment reads: "Article 16...
...Boston 24 million...
...The audience was stirred to applause by his declaration that the breaking of a political pledge by a public official should be made a penitentiary offense...
...Their attitude toward the bonds changed when it was seen that people would draw their money from the banks to invest in them...
...Kansas Democrats Busy In Kansas the Democratic party is in complete control of the state government and the legislature—for the first time since 1897...
...Speakers were pulled down from their platforms while quoting from the Bible, from a speech by Abraham Lincoln, from The Declaration of Independence and from the Constitution of the United States...
...State publication of school' text books...
...Public opinion had finally been educated, and the bonds carried by a large majority...
...To get the total weekly attendance at the theatre, get the population of the city...
...In December, 1902, an election was held to issue bonds, but the project failed of the necessary two-thirds vote...
...Among the more important measures which it is reported will be introduced in the legislature as the program of the Democrats are the following: The initiative and referendum...
...John D. Rockefeller's part of this "melon" is, in exact figures, $9,776,760...
...Rockefeller's life...
...Putting all good roads and bridge work under state supervision and submitting constitutional amendment for state aid for road work...
...The mandate of the states is too insistent to be ignored or trifled with by delays...
...In 1905 it was decided to build the road by tax levy...
...Its stocks are stronger than ever in the market Meanwhile the price of crude oil is soaring...
...This report was prepared and submitted in May, 1902...
...His physician hurried to his side, called the attention of the investigators to his patient's condition and then stated under oath that further questioning would endanger Mr...
...Oil Trust's Big "Melon'' A "melon" was cut last week by the Standard Oil Company amounting to $40,000,000...
...He will be tried on Feb...
...In October, 1901, the board of supervisors passed a resolution calling on the city engineer for plans and estimates of constructing a municipally-operated road on Geary St...
...It will be remembered that forty-six persons were imprisoned following the attempt of Socialist speakers to address a throng of strikers after an Notes on the Present State of the Theatre By THOMAS H. DICKINSON I. ESTIATES have been obtained erning the attendance at the theatre in American cities of over 25,000 inhabitants...
...Profits for the first two days operation of the Geary St...
...Chicago 60 million...
...effort on the part of the police to break up a parade of pickets which resulted in the wounding of two policemen and injuries to many strikers...
...Congress is now empowered to tax directly the incomes of the citizens of the United States, however derived...
...Governor Dunne— the first Democratic governor in twenty years and the second in sixty years of Illinois history—advocated on the very threshold of his term the following ideas: Three articles of the constitution should be amended to provide initiative and referendum, a reformed revenue system and easier amendment, of the constitution...
...George R. Lunn, the Socialist Mayor of Schenectady, N. Y., who, according to the information written on the police blotter at the time, was taken in custody "for speaking...
...Democrats Take Hold in Illinois With "Jeffersonian simplicity" Edward F. Dunne was inaugurated as Governor of Illinois at the Capitol in Springfield on February 3. His inaugural address was received with keen attention...
...News Notes —Another trust was "dissoiyed" last week...
...In 1909, however, the progressive movement had made such headway that tariff revision and the income tax could not be Ignored...
...Pujo and Mr...
...But the wealthy classes were strong enough to defeat it and the law expired by limitation, in 1872...
...Four-year terms for public officials with recall-provisions...
...Later President Taft recommended that Congress submit to the states in the usual manner the question of amending the Constitution so as to permit of the income tax...
...An appeal was made to the people and they responded...
...It is estimated that about 90 per cent, of harvesters, 85 per cent, of mowers and 50 per cent, of the binder twine used in the United States are made by the International Harvester Company—George W. Perkins, field general of the new party, organizer...
...A City That Owns and Operates Its Street Railway MAYOR ROLPH of San Francisco, recently launched the first car on the first municipally-built and municipally-owned street railroad in the United States...
...The bonds were bought by individuals and organizations, notably labor unions, and finally one or two local banks invested in the bonds...
...Madison with sis theatres of all kinds entertains 30,000 people a week...
...It was resubmitted in October, 1903, and again defeated...
...Boston with 100 amusement places provides seats for 600,000 a week...
...These figures are for forty weeks a season...
...Dissolution" of Harriman Roads Approved by Wickersham Attorney General Wickersham has approved the plan of "dissolution" agreed upon by the boards of directors of the two Harriman railroads, the Union, Pacific and, the Southern...
...State control of public utilities, with a large degree of local regulation...
...This report points out that the International Harvester Company, organized In 1902, brought under one control, through J. P. Morgan & Co., as underwriters, five great concerns manufacturing harvesting machinery and twine—the McCormick, Deering, Piano, Champion and Milwaukee companies...
...Notwithstanding the fact that they are charged with comparatively minor offenses, bonds for all would amount to a total of $10,000...
...Provide state supervision of work-ingmen's compensation law and removing all limitations...
...The financial success of the road is assured," says Mayor Rolph, "and with the contemplated extensions and others that may follow, the city is in a fair way to become something of a railroad magnate itself...
...A few days afterward came the clash with the police and in a raid on their headquarters strikers were arrested by wholesale and several of them were terribly beaten after being locked into their cells...
...Passage of corrupt practices act...
...Then the banks and bond houses, viewing with unfriendly eyes an attempt to get away from private ownership of public utilities, refused to buy the bonds...
...These are significant...
...Attorney General Wickersham in his statement says, "The result of the whole transaction "will be to create ideal competitive conditions between the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific for transcontinental business between eastern points and Portland and San Francisco and to relieve the states of California and Oregon of the monopoly of railroad control which has been the occasion of such widespread public dissatisfaction in the past...
...It is altogether probable that before the end of another year there will be in effect a law taxing incomes in such a way as to equalize the burden of government among the rich and the poor...
...The issues, they point out, are the rights of free speech and peaceful assemblage and the right to strike...
...Whereupon special privilege carried it to the Supreme Court of the United States and there by a five to four decision (one judge completely reversing himself over night) the income tax was killed...
...There was no difficulty in disposing of a block of bonds recently through the regular bond houses...
...The plan provides for the un-derwritings of the Union Pacific's holdings of Southern Pacific stocks, 1,266,500 shares — by a syndicate headed by Kuhn, Loeb and Company and the National city Bank of New York...
...New York City provides 120 million sittings a season...
...Back in 1812, an income tax was advocated but it was not until 1862 when it was first adopted, at that time used as a means of raising war revenue...
...Among those arrested and locked up in the Little Falls jail, since described as "a hell hole," was Dr...
Vol. 5 • February 1913 • No. 7
