The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-09-29
Don't Tax the Rich; Tax the Poor!
That's Doctrine of Timber King

wanting all the time to put their
rich men into jail.
1.-THE rich men of the country
are its benefactors; they are the
empire builders; they are the men
who really produce the wealth;
they are the benefactors of the
people,"
These words were uttered by a
man of great Wealth.. B.
Walker of this city-admittedly
the largest individual holder of
standing timber in the world, and
often referred to as a rival of
JohE D. Rockefeller in point of
riches.
"You refer to such men as Har-
riman"
''Yes, Hartman, Hill, Rockefel-
ler-all those big men. They are
empire builders; they are wonder
full men,"
You consider that Hartman
performed great service to the
"Of course he did. All these big
rich men perform great services to
the community. Hartman was
servant of the people. That is the
way with all the rest of them
Jim Hill, Rockefeller or myself.
We don't have the wealth. We
simply manage it in the interest
of the people.
you talk about Mr.. Rockefel-
Ter being a rich man. He can't
eat as much as / can; he wears
clothes which are not as good as
/ wear. The same is true of Jim
Hill. His clothes are not quite
as good as mine, and his railroads
are great deal more trouble to
him than they are to me or to any
body else"
ut is said you are opposed to
taxing rich people,"
''To be sure, / am" said Mr..
Walker. 81 WOULD PUT THE
TAXES ON THE POOR AND THE
THRIFTLESS. THEY ARE THE
PEOPLE WHO SHOULD PAY
THEM. The man who accumulates
wealth is a benefit to the COM
munity. You should encourage
him."
You consider that accumulated
capital is the source of all
wealth."
Certainly. Mere Drawn and
muscle doesn't produce wealth."
Mr.. Walker was striding up
and down his library while he
talked. Squeezing the muscles on
his arm, he continued:
This is not what produces the
wealth, but this (pointing to his
head). 1t is brains-brains cou-
Piled with capital. They are what
make the wealth produce every
thing"
But doesn't Drawn play any
part in the production of COM
modities2"
"Oh, yes, it plays some little
part, but even socialists agree
that machinery has multiplied the
production of mere Drawn by at
least TO-"
But you hold that the people
get the benefit of all productions,
anyway, everywhere"
THAT is my idea, the railroads
carry the freight; the produce is
consumed; the people eat, drink
and are served. That is the dis
tribution of wealth which goes on
everywhere"
But 1t would look as If there
was some difference In the distri-
button az between the people who
live on Fifth avenue and those
who live on the East Side"
THAT is only because the peo-
pie on Fifth avenue furnish the
brains and the capital. They pro-
duce more and are therefore en-
titled to more.'
You are said to be the larg-
est individual holder of standing
timber in the world. Do you con-
slider that you benefit the COM
munity by acquiring and holding
so vast an amount of lumber?"
"Of course 1 do. I perform a.
service to the country, among
other things, in helping conserve
timber. 1t is only in large tracts
that timber can be economically
administered"
do you think trusts are bene-
ficial?"
"Oh, no. They have been after
me for years to get me to incor-
porate and go into a big lumber
trust.
"And standing timber is some
thing which you can surround.
When I was down in Washington
on the tariff business they were
camping on my trail there; and
later, when went to New York,
the representative from France
hardly gave me any rest, and Il
have had letters from him since"
ITO whom do you refer when
you mention political agitators?"
"Oh, guess you could guess
"LaFollette7"
Yes, he's one."
And ROOSEVELT"
"Yes, in way he is one. too.
He is too quick to jump at conclu-
sions and to go after such men as
Hartman on technical violations
of the law. These people have got
to be stopped or they will bring
on revolution"