The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-06-15

puoiiC idAAH question lies with the
hOmemakeT. with the settler who lives
on his land and that the government
control OF the mineral fuels and the
public grazing lands is necessary and
inevitable. Each of these conclusions
represent 4 a movement of vast i'm.
portance which would confer large
Dement'S upon the nation. but which
stood by itself They are connected
together into one great fundamental
problem OF the conservation OF
all our natural resources Upon the
wise solution Of this. much of our fu
ture obviously depends
| Even such questions as the regula
ton OF railway rates and the control
Of corpora lions are in reality subsidi
ary to the primal problem Of the
preservatlon in the interests Of the
whole people of the resources that ma
ture has given us, If We fail to solve
this problem, no skill in solving the
others Wi. III 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. !
speak dittideutaly about the income
tax because one scheme for an income
tax was declared unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court by a five to four
vote, and IN addition it is difficult to
tax to admin Ster in its practical work
f!ngs, and great care would have to be
exercise 70 see that it was not evaded
by the very man whom it is most de-
sirable 10 have taxed for if so evaded
it would of course be worse than no
tax at all as the least desira' lie of all
taxes is the tax which bears heavily
upon the honest as compared with the
dishonest man. Nevertheless, a grad
uated income tax of the proper type
would be a desirable permanent fea-
lure OF federal taxation. and | still
hope that one may be devised which
the Supreme Court will declare con
stitutiona
In my Judgment. however, the in
heritanCc lax is both a far better
method Of taxation, and far more i'm.
portant for he purpose | have in view
the purpose of having the swollen
fortune of the country bear in proper
ton to their size constantly increas'
ing burden of taxation. These for
tunes exist solely because of the pro
lection given the owners by the public.
I ney ar Il constant SbllIt' VI tdlt
anxiety to The public and it is emf
nently just that they should be forced
to pay heavily for the protection given
them. lIt is. of course. elementary
that the nation has the absolute right
to decide as to the terms upon which
any man s1all bequest or devise from
another. We have repeatedly placed
such laws on our own statute books.
ho,n rpnp1fpi1V hppn
declared constitutional by the courts.
/ belieye that the tax should contain
the progressive principle.
"WhatcNcr any individual receives,
whethcT by gift. bequest or devise. In
life OF DEATH should. after certain
amount Is reached be increasingly
burdened and the rate OF taxation
should ht increased in proportion 10
the rcmolcness of blood of the man
receivn ng or devising.
The principle of this progressive
taxation OF inheritances has not only
been authoritatively recognized by the
legislation of Congress, but it is now
uneaulvocaly adopted in the leading
civilized nations of the word-in. fol
instance Great Britain, France and
Germany. Switzerland led off with the
Imposition OF high progressive rates
Great Britain was the first of the great
nations to follow suit and within the
las few years both France and Ger
many have adopted the principle. In
Great Britain all estates worth 5000
or less are practically exempt from
death duties. while the increase is
suC h that when an estate exceeds 50,
900 100 in value and passes to dis
tauf kinsman or stranger in blood the
gov rnment receives nearly eighteen
per cent In France, under the pro
I2rtssive system. so much of an inh"rl
tanCe as exceeds $l0,o0o,0to pays over
Twenty per cent. to the state II II
pa 7es to a distant relative. and five
per cent. II II passes to direct helr
In Germany very small lnh"rltances
aTp exempt, but the tax is so sharply
progressive that an inheritance not in
IagTicultural or forest lands which eX'
.cetis $3.50, 900, if it goes to distant rel
Iatiyes, is taxed at the rate of about
ItWenty-five per cent. The German law
is Dt special interest, because it makes
the inheritance tax an imperial meas
uTt. while allotting To the individual
states of the empire portion OF the
proceeds and permitting them to inn
pose taxes in addition to those imposed
by he imperial government.
Inheritance Tax Law.
IN the United States the national
spyCrnment has more than once i'm
posed Inheritance taxes in addition to
those imposed by the states, and in
the last instance about one-half of the
states levied such taxes concurrently
with the national government, making
a combined maximum rate, in some
cases as high as twenty-five per cent,
land as matter of fact several states
adopted Inheritance tax laws for the
first time while the national law was
still in force and unrepealed. The
French law has one feature which is
to he heartily commended. The pro,
gressive principle is so applied that
leach higher rate is imposed only on