Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-11

iaSt winter, II granted, would hay,
put an end to the squanderlng OF Til,
public domain, while IL would hav,
prevented any need of causing hard
ship to individual settlers by holdin.
up their claims. However. the appro
| priation was not given ns.> and Il
consequences 1t Is not possible 10 Sc
cure, us would like to secure, TIL,
natural resources of the public Ian;
from fraud, waste and encroacnment
! So much for what, we are trying Il
do in utilizing our public lands 70,
the public; in securing the use Of
The water. the forage, the coal. uaI
the timber for the public. In all foul
movements my chief adviser, and the
man first TO suggest to me the course.
which have actually proved 80 bene
ficial. was Mr.. Clifford pinchot, The
Chief of the National Forest Service
| Mr.. Pinchot also suggested to me 4
movement supplementary TO all OF
| these movements; ono which will IT.
self lead the way in the general
movement which he represents and
with which lie is actively identified
for the conservation OF all on natural
resources. This was the appointment.
of the Inland Waterways Commission
Development of Waterways.
The inability of the railroads of
The United States to meet the dc.
mands upon them has drawn public
attention, forcilly to the use of our
waterways for transportation. Bur II
Is obvious that this Is only one OF
their many uses, and that Il plpnnet
and orderly development is impossi
bic except by taking into account al
me services they are capabln nf ren
dering. 1t was upon this ground tha
ne Inland Waterways Commission
was recently appointed. Their dut
Is to propose comprehensive pln
for the Improvement and utilization
OF those great waterways which ~
the great potential highways of iii
country. Their duty is also to brin
together the points of view Of All US
ers of streams. and to limit a gen
conservation of the vast natural r,
sources of the waterways of In
United States. Clearly It is impos
siblc for the Waterways Commissio
to accomplish It's great task witt
ont considering the relation O
streams to the conservation and us
of all other natural resources, an
have asked that 1t do so. Hero
then. for the first time, tho orderl
development and planned conserve
tive use of all our natural resource
is presented as n single problem. On
by one the individual tasks in thi.
great problem have already been III
dertaken. One by one in practice
fashion the methods of dealing wit
them were worked out National II
rigntion has proved itself n success
by its actual working
Revision of Taxation.
Now as To the matter of taXatio
Most great civilized countries hav
an income tax and an inhcritanc
tax. In my Judgment both should b
part of our system OF Federal taxi
Ion. | speak diffidently about tn
income tax because one scheme fc
an income tax was declared uncon
stitutional by the Supreme Court b
five to four vote; and in addition
it is difficult tax to administer In
its practical workings, and great care
would have to lie exercised to see
that it was not evaded by the vers
man whom it is most desirable tC
have taxed, for If so evaded 1t would
Of course be worse than no tax at
all, as the least desirable of all taXes
is the tax which bears heavily unu.
the honest as compared with tile di
honest man. Nevertheless, grad
uated income tax of the proper type
would be n desirable permanent f.;
ture of Federal taxation. and still
hope that one may be devised whic'
the Supreme Court will declare cor
stitutional
An Inheritance Tax.
In my judgment, however, the IN
heritance tax Is both n far bette
method of taxation. and far NOR
important for the purpose have il
view-the purpose of having tn,
swollen fortunes of the country bea
In proportion to their size con
stantly increasing burden Of taxation
These fortunes exist solely bec;rso
NJ the protection given the owner
by the public, They are constan
source of care and anxiety to the pull
lie and it is eminently just that The,
should he forced to pay heavily foi
the protection given them. 1t is, OF
course, elementary that the nation
has the absolute right to decide a;
to the terms upon which any man
shall receive n bequest or devise from
another. We have repeatedly placed
such laws on our own statute hooks
and they have repeatedly bA'n de,
clared constitutional by the co,ir.s
| believe that the tax should contain
t1N,R