Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-05-13
NOTE AND GOSSIP
FROM THE PRESS
Why Not Retroneh :

With the passing OF years come
changed conditions in this country, as
elsew here in the world. We must change
our methods and our laws to meet them
The federal government, as well as each
state, is confronted with the serious
problem Of how to raise the necessary
public revenues In the least burdensome
way that shall, at the same time, be fair
and Justly equable. We have taxed all
visible property to the limit and all invis-
ibIe property that could possibly be
brought to light. We have fixed impost
and internal revenue duties as high as
can possibly be borne. We have taxed
collateral, aud in some states, direct in
heritances. And still we hnd our reve-
nues insufficient and With a task Of provid-
ing more or facing q deficit. Randolph
Herald.
The above is a part of the. Randolph
namesake's article arguing fer the. impo-
.sition of an income tax from the basis OF
revenue. The answer comes so logically
and naturally that one wonders why Il
was not included in the contemporaries
excellent argument. Why not retrencbs
II Publisher johnson sat down the end
OF the year and found by his books that
be was getting all the revenue be possibly
could from the newspaper field and yet
was running behind, say $1,000 q year,
what would he dot He would overhaul
his payroll and see il be could get out his
papers with fewer hands. he would 20
over his subscription list and lOp OF all
deadheads- He would 90 into his press
room and stop all waste. He would look
over his lights aud power and see il they
could not be produced q little cheaper.
I IL - a
himself and would get the boys TO "help
out'' after school. He would retrench in
some way and save that $1,000.
/ What does Uncle Sam do, with an army
OF useless clerks, needless stAtisticians,
lazy sschair-warnlers, " pampered fiuukies
and wise-eyed detectives on bis psy rolll
He Immediately sets out 70 find some
thing to tax.
What would happen to johnson II he
tried to tax his subscribers per cent
more or his advertisers 10 per rent more
He would have a newspaper insurrec-
ton on bis hands in "a hours, always
presuming that he is charging for bis Pc
pers what they are worth and selling
space at fair profit over its production,
which is probably the case.
Johnson would retreuch II he had lot
of conspicuous waste around his plant,
/ threatening him with q defcit, but John
son does not think Of suggesting II to
Uncle Sam. No, be falls right in with
I the program of finding something more
to tax, and does not require Uncle Sam,
with business running into billions, to
have as much sense as the proprietor of q
business OF SIS, 900 or $50, 900 per year.
There Il no reason in the proposition.
II johnson ran his business as be pro-
poses to let Uncle Sam run the nation, be
would have the sheriff for 3 partner in.
side OF year, as Robert j. Burdett tells
about.
When there is some semblance of hon.
est business sense in conducting the pub
lie business, then is time enough to dis
cuss the income tax. Just now, what We
need most Is program Of retrenchmenI
from the Taft administration and q littls
johnson horse sense in the big depart
ments on Pennsylvania avenue and there
about. Rutland Herald.