The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-06-21

The inability OF the railroads OF the
United states 20 meet the demands
upon them has drawn public attoation
.orcibly TO the use OF our waterways
for transportation. hut II is obvious
that this Is only one OF their many
uAss. and that a planned and orderly
development Is impossible except by
taking into account all the services
they arO capable OF rendering. IL Was
upon this ground that the inland wa
terways commission was recently APP
pointed. Their duty is 20 propose a
comprehensive plan for the improve
ment and utilization OF those great
waterways which are the great potcn-
tial highways OF the country. Their
duty ia also TO bring together the
points OF view OF all users OF streams.
and TO submit general plan for the
development and conservation of the
vast natural resources OF the water
ways OF the United States Clearly IL
is impossible for the waterways COM
mission 10 accomplish its great task
without considering the relation OF
streams to the conservation and use or
all other natural resources. and have
asked that IL do so. Here. then. for the
first time. the orderly development and
planned conservative use OF all our
natural resources 10 presented as
single problem. one by one the indi-
vidual tasks in this great problem have
already been undertaken. one by one
in practical fashion the methods OF
dealing with them were worked out
National irrigation has proved itself
a success by Its actual working Again.
actual experience has shown that the
national forests will fulnll the larger
purpose for which they were created.
All who have thoughtfully studied the
subject have come TO see that the solu-
ton OF the public lands question lies
with the home maker. with the settler
who lives on his land and that gov
eminent control or the mineral fuels
and the public grazing lands IL neces-
sary and inevitable Each OF these
represented a movement
OF vast Importance which would confer
large benefits upon the nation. but
which stood by itself. They are con-
nected together into one great funda-
mental problem-that OF the con-
servation OF all our natural resources.
Upon the wise solution of this. much
OF our future obviously depends. Even
such questions as the regulation of
railway rates and the control OF cor
porations are in reality subsidiary to
the primal problem OF the preservation
in the interests OF the whole people or
the resources that nature has given us.
IL we fail TO solve this problem. no
skill in solving the others will in the
end avail US very greatly
Now as TO the matter OF taxation.
Most great civilized countries have an
income tax and an inheritance tax
In my Judgment both should be part
OF our system OF federal taxation. I
speak diffidently about the income tax
because one scheme for an income tax
was declared unconstitutional by the
supreme court by a ive to four vote;
and In addition il is a difficult tax to
in its practical workings.
and great care would have TO be exer
cised 10 see that IL was not evaded
by the very man whom IL is most de-
sirable 10 have taxed, for IL so evaded
il would OF course be worse than no
tax at all. as the least desirable OF all
taxes is the tax which bears heavily
upon the honest as compared with the
dishonest man. Nevertheless. a gradu-
ated income tax OF the proper type
would be a desirable permanent fea-
ture OF federal taxation. and / still
hope that one may be devised which tho
supreme court Will declare constitu-
tional