Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-12-06

was shown nj the inveutisalidn o. ~
STANDARD Oh company ano q. =. ~ y nt ,,,,
\ SHOWN since by the mxerleaylpn o. ~ ~.
tobacco and sugar truatsl e. e ne MY
would like 70 combine for the purpose 9
nrevenfine a Big shipper from maintain
/ me- irnproper advantages At the expene'
* small shippers and Of the general pup
iic. such cemninauon; ih " ss1c " ps X
other words. It should be ReFmlLte9 ts
| railroads 10 make agreements, provides
| these agreements were sanctioned py wy
interstate eonms vJ,,h 5ss two con ali
| lions Complied with II 10 impossible 7!
| zee what harm such a combination could
| do to the public Of large. II ~ puPnt
| evil to have on the statute DOCKS law
| incapable OF full enforcement pecauss
| null Enforcement would destroy the Dusi-
| ness Of the country; for the result IL q
| make decent railroad men volators o.
| me law against their will, and 10 put z
lren1ium on the behavior Of the wilful
wrongdoers. Such a result In turn tends
| 20 throw the decent man and the Wllful
Wrongdoer into close association, ana IN
fhe end to drag down the former to the
alters level: for the man who becomes
to loge all respect for law and to be
willing to break 1t IN many ways. No
more scathing condemnation could pc
visited upon a law than 70 contained In
commission when, In commenting upon
the fact that the numerous Joint tra1ic
NEGOTIATIONS do technically violate the
law, they say: The decision Of the
Transmisslssippi case and the Joint
Trafic association case has produced no
practical effect upon the railway opera
lions Of the country. Such associations.
in fact, exist now as they did before
these decisions. and with the same gem
eral effect In justice to all parties, we
ought probably to add that Il Is dificult
o see how our interstate railways could
be operated with due regard to the inter
est OF the shipper and the ,i T,aialway
forded thru these associations"
This means that the law as construed
by the supreme court 10 such that the
business Of the country cannot be con-
Quoted without breaking T. lrecommena
that you give careful and early consider
alton to this subject, and II you find the
opinion of the Interstate commerce COM
mission justified, that you amend the
law so as to obviate the evil disclosed.
Inheritance and income Tax.
1t was expected that the president
& n Eessi = - ..oF Safbb9fSg o. eor-
nous fortunes, and he has done SO by
recommending legislation for both In
come and an Inheritance tax. ne pc
lieves the government should impose q
graduated inheritance tax, and, II posi-
ole, a graduated income tax. He says;
II am well aware that such subject
as this needs long and careful study IN
Tar with what IL proposed to be done,
aay clearly see the necessity OF proceed
.ng with wisdom and self-restraint, and
may make up their minds Just how far
they are willing to 60 In the matter
while only trained legislators can work
out the project In necessary detail. But
feel that in the near future our nation
al legislators should enact a law provid-
ing for a graduated Inheritance tax by
which a steadily increasing rate OF duty
valuables coming by gift bequest. Or
devise to any individual or corporation.
1t may be well to make the tax heavy
In proportion as the individual benefited
Ia remote Of kin. In any event, Ia my
Increase very heavily with the increase
Of the amount left to any one Individual
after a certain point has been reached
II Is most desirable to encourage THRIFT
and ambition. and q potent source o.
thrift and ambition Is the desire on the
part Of the breadwinner to leave his chill.
dren well of. This object can be attained
by making the tax very small on moder-
ate amounts Of property left; because
the prime object should DO to put con-
stantly increasing burden. on the inner
itance OF those swollen fortunes which
It is certainly Of no benetit to this coun-
try to perpetuate.
There can be no question Of the eth
ical propriety Of the government thus de-
termining the conditions upon which any
gift or Inheritance should be received,
Exactly how far the Inheritance tax
would, as an incident, have the effect OF
limiting the transmission by devise or
gift Of the enormous fortunes Y quesuon
4 4 not necessary at present to discus ct,H.
II IL wise that progress In this direction
should be gradual. At nrst . permanent
inheritance tax. while II might
be more substantial than any such TAX
has hitherto been, need not APPROXIMATE,
either in amount Or in the extent OF the
increase BY graduation, to what puch
tax should ultimately DO.
lnheritancs Tax Constitutional.
'srhis species OF tax has again and again
been imposed, altho only temporarily, BY
the national government: i was nrst
ny %aE y me q eIS ~ q conssuon we're
alive and Il the head Of affairs. IL was
! graduated tax; tho small " amount
the rate was increased with the amount
eft to any Individual, exceptions being
made In the case OF certain close kin. A
IITniIar tax was again imposed by the
act Of July /, 1852; q minimum sum q
n 900 IN personal property being excepted
lrom taxation, the tax then becoming
psVsLchllNwe Gc a,1.n,,ss,,,,. ~ ~ Ias,a n
y ~ IN. ~ ~, ~ ash.s,ts vna ta~ ~
.sses pEoV'ueu III az wai,,a ~ "a "a
ny lhy sH w - tsx ;ncTsa ainr both n accord.
ance With ne amo9nts .s1s me aa " sc
cQroance Witn tne onesse w 80
u kln: InJ ,,S.,.s.aa ~ ~ ti1re
ne suceession ~ "a 4 a,re.t "a NM
I. t s,,,ro ~ ~ ereae which was both CON
'ututional Ana vntu. sNtt'..sS ny ".
s0urt, N ~ Opnlgn s.sstrsa 80
lusuce WHY, w nhien Y. r.rsta Tt.cI.sicr |