The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-04-13
Reduction of War Taxes.


leaders i'll the administration and
in Congress do not seriously con-
template ii reduction of the war
taxes during the present session.
This, with other important legiS-
latlon, is to he postponed until
after the election, when it is as
Sumed that the Republican ma.
JorlIy, Tree from the embarrass.
mentS of IA Presidential campaign.
will take up the delayed measures
and enact them. Yet, but Il lit
tie Whlle ago semi -Utncial state
mentS were made that the Presi
dent aud his cabinet were busy
Ing themselves with the question
as To what extent the war. taxes
could he moderated, If they could
not be wholly repealed. At the
same time the Committee ON
Ways and Means requested the
Secretary OF the Treasury to
draw up an estimate OF the re
delpts and expenditures as a
guide tor Congress in making a
reduction o1 taAes.
AS this movement was not
prompted 10y the Democratic ON
position III Congress, but had its
initiative with the Republican
administration, there could he M
REASON to DOUBT its sincerity
Since the wal taxes were imnoS,.d
solely TO meet The extraordinary
expenditures oil The Spanish war
The REASON OF the policy has ceaS.
ed, especially aS an enormous
surplus Is accumulated in the
treasury and i'll the national bank
depoSitarleS to the obstruction
OF tue flow of currency through
the arteries of trade. Thank
to the tremendous capacity fthe
country, the burdens of war fax.
alton have been borne with com.
paratively small detriment to bus
mess. But now when the
monthly treasury statements
SHOW an ever recurring balance
OF revenues, Notwithstanding the
large army expenditures in the
Philippines, the time has come to
consider Il reduction of war taxes
and 10 give business respite.
The fact that the Democratic
minority III Congress have be
traAed Il strange indifference tn
this subject does not make it of
less concern to the masses of the
American people.
o. course 50 long as the GOV.
erhment needed all this reyeuue
from war taxes there have been
no complaints. Although an.
! pa:ently light in their operation
careful observers OF financial con.
dltlonS have often pointed ont the
effects of these taxes up0n buSi.
ness. The small rlIlS gathered
from stamps upon express parcels
telegraph messages, checks.
notes, medicine, etc, have swol.
J len into IA large sum OF revenue
! y portion of this sum has been
! drawn from the active OPERATIONS
of bu lneSs and another portion
from the earnings OF the masses
of consumers Yet even when
the treasury has not needed all
this money, but has put what is
not required for immediate paw.
mentS i'll the national bank de
poSitaries where it was in reach
OF legitimate enterprises Tor spec
ulatlon) seeking money, there was
no manifestation of public dis.
content with the policy save in
quarters where all financial acts
of government are regarded with
suspicion. 1t was generally rec
ognized that this was the only
alternative to the dangerous ac.
cumulati0nS of idle millions of
surplus revenues in sub.treasury
vaults.
But in greatly altered condi.
tiOns there should be a speedy
end of this financial policy in the
removal of unnecessary war taxes.
The national banks have little
prospect of obtaining more treas.
ury deposits, if they needed the
government accommodation ever
| so much. They find that the gov
eminent bonds required as secur-
ity for deposits of treasury sup
plies have become too scarce and
dear under the new currency law
for their purposes. In this sit
uatiOn the interest of the banks
comedies with the interests of
the public in demanding sub.
Stantial reduction of war taxes in
order that the people may be re.
lieved of needless burdens and
that the accumulations of the
treasury may be permitted to flow
back into the channels of trade.
Misgivings are raised, never.
theless, here and there, concern.
ing "a renewal of war taxes at
this time. 1t is suggested that
the war in the Philippines is not
yet over and the army expendi.
lures in that region may be very
heavy for many months to come.
Then there are the new ships of
the navy with their immense cost:
the increasing nanSinn liSt. thn