Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-11

Of the country. 1t Is impcratively nee
essary, therefore, that thrift bill be
drawn In good faith in accordance
with promises made before the cleo
tion by the party in power and as
promptly passed as due consideration
will permit.
Inheritance Tax Advocated.
In the making of tariff i'll the
prime motive Is taxation and the Sc
curing thereby Of revenue. Due
largely to the business depression
which followed the financial panic of
| 1907. the revenue from customs and
other sources has decreased to such
an extent that the expenditures for
| the current fiscal year will exceed the
receipts by 500 100000. 1t Is impern-
| tive that such n deficit shall not con-
| tinuo, and the trainers Of the tariff
hill must or course have in mind the
total revenues likely to be produced by
II and so arrange tho duties Ms to Sc
cure an adequate income. Should it DO
| inpossible to do SO by Import duties
| ncv kinds of taxation must lie adopt
|
graduated inheritance tax as corrcc'
in principle and Us certain ond easy OF
| collection
Government Economy Urged.
J The obligation on the part Of those
responsible for the expenditures made
TO carry on the government to be as
economical us possible and to make
the burden OF taxation as light as pos
hible is plain and should be affirmed In
every declaration Of government pol
lev. This is especially true when we
are face to face with heavy deficit.
But when the desire to win the popu-
| lar approval leads to the cutting off Of
expenditures really needed to make
the government effective and to en-
able it to accomplish its proper objects
the result Is as much to be condemned
as the waste OF government funds in
unnecessary expenditure.
In the department Of agriculture the
use Of scientific experiments on large
scale and the spread of information
derived from them for the improve
ment Of general agriculture must 60
on.
The Importance Of supervising bust
ness of great railways and industrial
combinations and the necessary invcs-
| tigation and prosecution of unlawful
business methods are another ncccs-
sary tax upon government which did
not exist half century ago.
Proper Forms Of Expenditure.
The putting into force Of laws which
shhll secure the conservation of our
resources so far as they may be with
in the jurisdiction OF the federal gov
eminent, including the most important
work Of saving and restoring our for
ests and the great improvement Of wa
terways are all proper government
functions which must involve large
expenditure If properly performed
While some OF them, like the reclama-
ton Of arid lands. are made to pay
for themselves, others are of such an
indirect benefit that this cannot be eX
pected Of them. a permanent i'm
provement. like the Panama canal
should be treated as distinct enter.
prise and should be paid for by the
proceeds of bonds, the issue Of which
will distribute its cost between the
present and future generations in ac-
cordance with the benefits derived. II
may we'll be submitted to the serious
consideration Of congress whether the
deepening and control Of the channel
of great river system like that of the
Ohio or Of the Mississippi when def
mite and practical plans for the enter
prise have been approved and deter
mined upon should not be provided fol
in the same way
Then, too there are expenditures OF
government absolutely necessary if oul
country is to maintain its proper place
among the nations Of the world and is
to exercise Its proper influence in de
Tense Of its own trade interests in the
maintenance of traditional American
policy against the colonization of Eu
ropean monarchies In this hemisphere
and in the promotion Of peace and in
ternational morality. I refer to thu
cost of maintaining proper army 9
proper navy and suitable Notifications
upon the mainland Of the United
States and IN its dependencies.
Tho Army and Navy.
We should have an army so organ
lied and so ofticered as to be capabl,
In time OF emergency in cooperation
with the national militia and under
thc provisions Of proper nationa
volunteer law rapidly TO expand int
force sufficient to resist all probabl,
INVASION from abroad and to furnish
respectable cxpedltionary force, If nee
nssary, in the maintenance of our ira
ditional American policy which bear
the name o. President Monroe.
Our Notifications are yet In stnt,
Of only partial completeness and tn,
. number If men to man them Is insufl
cient. IN a few years, however, tn,
usual annual appropriations for oul
, coast defcnses. both on the mainland
and in the dependencies, will max,
, them sufficient to resist nll direct at
tack. and by that time we may HOPE
that the men to man them will be pro
v!ded rs necessary adjunct. Tn,
distance OF our shores from Europ,
and Asia, Of course, reduces the ne
, ressity for maintaining under arms
. great army, but 1t does not take ava.
| the requirement of mere prudence
that we should have an army suGl
rlently large and so constituted MS t.
form nucleus out Of which n suitable
{ force can Csiickly grow