New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-23


TAXING NE wsPAPERs AND TAKING
GENERALLY.
We entirely agree with those Members of
Congress who maintain that Newspapers ought
to share in the burdens imposed by the present
Civil War. 1t is true that they suffer by that
War severely and exceptionally; for We are
confident that many more Journals were discon-
timed while far fewer were established in 1861
than in any previous year since 1914. judging
from a variety of facts within our knowledge,
we conclude that the Newspapers Of the whole
country were cause of loss rather than u
source of gain to their publishers during that
year. We presume our own business fair
index of the condition of the trade: and, while
we printed more copies in 1861 than IN any
former year, we made no money--not one far
thng-whereas we usually have a balance at
the years end on the right side OF our
ledger. Our total issues during the year
1861 were hardly less than Thirty Mil
lions of copies; yet we were poorer at the
years end than if we had slept through the
year and not issued a single copy. And we
do not believe that the average fortune of pub
fishers throughout the Union was better than
ours. Probably most of them have enjoyed an
unusual circulatou but the falling OIL in Ad-
yeItsing has been so great and general as to
swallow up their Profits and something more.
Ia few inland cities, where business has been
comparatively good and newspaper circulation,
largely swelled by the anxiety of all to obtain
the freshest possible news, there may have
been margin Of profit for the publishers, but
hardly anywhere else. But tax Us as heavily
20 any other class, and make us bear our full
share of the burdens of the War.
The true way to levy tax, in our view,
would be--IIdke ALL manufacturers, Of rhGt-
erer kind or nature, pay one per- cent on lie
marka rGiue Of their products to tie Gorern-
mem. The aggregate product Of our Manutac-
lures, Mines, and Mechanic Arts in 1850
according to the Census of that year, was
something over one thousand Millions OF Dol
lars, and it will not now fall short of Fifteen
Hundred Millions. One per cent. Oh this would
be Fifteen Millions of solid cash. but at the
worst, even with the rebel States counted out,
the net product of this tax could not fall below
Ten Millions. This would BE- very pretty
nest-egg for tie Treasury; and We believe it
would generally be paid with cheeriuness, and
peed not be expensive in it's collection. Make
every manufacturer give security beforehand
that lie would render true accounts OF
oil his sales, aud have the excise pay
able on mis- products so fast as
they lett his shop, and the collection of this
tax need not cost two per cent We, for in
instance, would pay over at the Sub-Treasury
our quota weekly or monthly, as might be de-
sired or would hand it over to the authorized
collector if that would be more agreeable. We
should have to pay about 500 per week, or
$1,000 per nnnum, not a penny of which would
Ire transferred to the shoulders of our patrons,
while its collection need not cost the Govern.
ment S25. Aud each township or county might
Of whatever nature and arranging for the pay
ment Of his share of the tax. Here would be
Ten to Fifteen Millions per anuum (and very
soon Twenty put into the Treasury without
being felt by consumers; for very rarely would
the price of an article be increased by so
trifing an excise. Stamp Tax that would
reach consumers by raising the price OF pro-
duets would be Objectionable; but this the i'm
post we suggest would rarely do
If it should be deemed advisable to extend
tho application Of the principle, so as to tax
Merchants and Dealers Of all kinds one per
cent on the price OF each article sold by them
the raw products of American Agriculture
only excepted--this would probably add Ten
Millions or so to the aggregate, without being
sensibly felt by the great majority. Then put
a higher tax on Income other than TINT resulting
from personal labor or eilort--that is, the in
come realized a. Rents, Dividends or Interest
on Mortgage or other Debts, and still further
SUN would be- secured. We do not think it
right to tax an income which is the fruit of
present personal exertlon as though 1t were
derived from an inheritance or from invested
capital; but tax on incomes resulting from
investments or productive property would be
easily borne.
At all events, lei us have taxes levied sufl.
Gent to render the punctual payment of the
interest and the ultimate liquidation of the
principal Of our Public Debt morally certain.
And lot them be so adjusted as to deprcss in
the smallest possible degree the Productive In
dustry Of the country.