The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-03-04

order that consideration may be at |
once given to bill revising the Ding
:ey act. This should secure an adc- |
Quate revenue and adjust the duties in
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 whi6 Snail put
into force, upon executive >determina-
ton Of certain facts, 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
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 1t disturbs the whole business
Of the country. 1t is imperatively nee
essary, therefore, that a tariff bill be
drawn in good faith in accordance
with promises made before the cleo
ton by the party i'll power and as
promptly passed as due consideration
will permit.
Inheritance Tax Advocated.
In the making of q tariff bill the
prime motive is taxation and the Sc
curing thereby of a 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 $1O0,00O,0OO. 1t is impera-
tive that such a 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 I 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
| economical as possible and to make
| the burden Of taxation as light as pos
| sible Is plain and should be affirmed in
| every declaration of government pol
icy. This is especially true when we
are face to face with a 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 Il accomplish its proper objects
the resu& is as much to be Condemned
as the Taste Of government funds III
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 a century ago.
Proper Forms of Expenditure.
The putting into force of laws which
shall secure the conservation of GU!
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 al
|
. pected of them. A permanent in
provement, like the Panama cana
should be treated as distinct enter
. prise and should be paid for by tn
= proceeds of bonds, the issue of whic
) will distribute it's cost between tn
! present and future generations in az
. cordance with the benefits derived.
e may well be submitted to the seriou
consideration of congress whether tn
: deepening and control of the channt
of a great river system like that Of til
Ohio or of the Mississippi when def
@ mite and practical plans for the ente
!. prise have been approved and dete
2 mined upon should not be provided fl
n In the same way.
4 Then, too, there are expenditures {
9 government absolutely necessary if OF
2 country is to maintain it's proper plaC
O among the nations of the world and
= to exercise its proper influence in d
o. Tense Of it's own trade interests in tt
q maintenance of traditional America
@ policy against the colonization of E
I. ropean mOnarchies in this hemisphe,
4 and in the promotion Of peace and i
d ternational morality. I refer to II
f. cost of maintaining a proper army,
l. proper navy and suitable fertilization
upon the mainland of the Unit
e. States and in its dependencies.
re The Army and Navy.
IS We should have an army so orga
D. lied and so differed as to be capat
is in time of emergency in co-operati