Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-03-04

such manner as to afford to labor
and to all industries in this country,
whether of the farm, mine or factory,
protection by tariff equal to the differ
ence between the cost of production
abroad and the cost of production here
and have provision which shall put
into force, upon executive determine
ton of certain facts, a higher or maxi
mum tariff against those countries
whose trade policy toward us equitably
requires such discrimination. 1t is
thought that there has been such a
change in conditions since the enact
ment of the Dingley act, drafted on a
similarly protective principle, that the
measure of the tariff above stated will
permit the reduction of rates in certain
schedules and will require the ad-
vancement of few, if any.
The proposal to revise the tariff
made In such an authoritative way as
to lead the business community to
count upon it necessarily halts all
those branches of business directly
affected, and as these are. most i'm
portant it disturbs the whole business
of the country 1t isslmperatively nee
essary, therefore, that tariff bill be
drawn in good faith in accordance
with promises made before the cleo
ton by the party in power and as
promptly passed as due consideration
will permit.
inheritance Tax Advocated.
In the making of n tariff bill tbs
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 S100,000.O00. 1t is impera-
tive that such deficit shall not con-
tinue, and the trainers of the tariff
bill must of course have in mind the
total revenues likely to be produced by
it and so arrange the duties as to Sc
cure an adequate income. Should it be
impossible to do so by import duties
new kinds of taxation must be adopt
ed. and among these l recommend a
graduated Inheritance tax as correc'
in principle and as certain and easy OF
collection
Government Economy Urged.
The obligation on the part of those
responsible for the expenditures made
to carry on the government to be as
fNnScibln an1 lie
the burden of taxation as light as pos
sible Is plain and should be affirmed III
every declaration of government pol
icy 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 &C
on.
The Importance of supervising bust
ness of great railways and industrial
combinations and the necessary inves
tigation and prosecution of unlawful
business methods are another neceS
sary tax upon government which die
not exist half century ago.
Proper Forms of Expenditure.
The putting into force of laws which
shall secure the conservation of oul
resources so far as they may be with
in the jurisdiction of the federal gov
eminent, including the most importan
; work of saving and restoring our for
! ests, and the great improvement of wa
terways are all proper government
functions which must involve larg'
expenditure if properly performed
While some of them, like the reclama
ton of arid lands, are made to pa,
for themselves, others are of such IL
indirect benefit that this cannot be eX
peeted of them. A permanent i'm
provement, like the Panama canal
| should be treated as a distinct enter
prise and should be paid for by tn
proceeds of bonds, the issue Of whicl
will distribute it's cost between tn
present and future generations in &C
cordance with the benefits derived. /
may well be submitted to the seriou
consideration of congress whether tn
deepening and control of the channe
Of a great river system like that Of tn
Ohio or of the Mississippi when def
mite and practical plans for the entel
prise have been approved and deter
mined upon should not be provided fo
in the same way.
Then, too. there are expenditures @
government absolutely necessary if on
country is to maintain its proper plac
among the nations of the world and
to exercise it's proper influence in d.
tense of its own trade interests in tn
maintenance of traditional America
policy against the colonization of Ell
ropean monarchies In this hemispher
and in the promotion of peace and il
ternational morality. L refer to th
cost of maintaining proper army,
proper navy and suitable fertilization