The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-17
TARIFF AND REVENUE.

away from the tariff question without
considering supplemental sources OF
revenue. 1t believes that Senator AL
drich Is too sanguine in his opinion
that the Aldrich schedules would raise
all the revenue needed. He has been
miSled, in the Tribune'S opinion, by
the squirt in customs receipts in the
latter part of March and the first half
of April This increase has not been
maintained, and the indications for
the first three weeks of May are for a
treasury deficit of about S7.000,0OO.
Under these circumstances, it finds
that the sentiment favorable to an in
come tax Is growing in the Senate,
and may make itself felt before the
special session ends, unless the Sen
ate gets together on some other form
of supplemental taxation.
The income tax, it is plain, is not
quickly available to help out treas
ury stranded by insufficient customs
and internal revenue receipts. 1t
could not be Immediately enforced.
In all probability, it would have to go
through the Supreme Court. and even
II sustained there, its operation would
have TO await the perfecting of cum
bersOme machinery of collection. For
quick returns and for a tax that
would hurt nobody the Tribune advo-
Gates a return to one of the Spanish
American war taxes. namely, the
stamp tax on checks and CONNER
cial paper. This tax is easily and
quickly collected As with stamps on
letters, the tax collects itself in adj
vance But the stamp tax is. histor-
ically unpopular In America. 1t can
not forget that it was in a quarrel
over stamp tax that we parted from
Great Britain. Besides, the stamp tax
is an almost intolerable nuisance. To
the big concern that buys books of
stamped checks, il is not so infuriat-
ing as to the occasional forwarder OF
a check, who must remember to put
the stamp on, or to the small dealer
in commercial paper who must recol-
lect always his duty to the govern
The Tribune does not seem to have
given consideration to another expe
dent. the construction of a tariff bill
that will, by the reduction of certain
duties to a competitive basis, produce
more revenue by encouraging impor
tations OF course, this involves some
nice calculations on the part of ex-
perts. II is a question how far Con
gress can go toward free trade in
some articles. without disturbing
American manufactures
1t may be that Representative Ste
vens has the right idea, in declaring
that We should have no free list. but
should levy some tax on everything
that comes into the country. Small
revenue taxes upon articles which are
not produced here, and moderate but
adequate duties upon articles which
we produce. should give us tariff
which would support the treasury and
afford to American capital and labor
that differential which we call protec-
ton. and which Is necessary to our
ity.-Minneapolis Journal.
War Scare and n Canal.
The German war scare in Great
Britain seems not unlikely to bring
about at least one result that would
benefit peaceful commerce. 1t has re-
vived the project of canal across the
island frcm the Firth of Forth to the
C1vda II Ia frua fbot tho prir,o ohioct
of such great work. one that is esti-
mated to involve the expenditure OF
like s1o0,OO0.0O0, would be
to serve military ends. A canal prac-
ticable for battleships would enable
the British sea-lords to effect a quick
junction in case of necessity. between
the Atlantic and the North Sea
squadrons. just as the Kiel canal en-
ables Germany to maneuver its navy
in the Baltic and the North Sea as
sage of the difficult Danish channels.
Such a canal as that proposed would
also give British battleships in the
North Sea quick access TO Glasgow for
repairs.
There are already two canals across
Scotland. but neither is practicable for
If ship canal were built.
it would doubtless cause serious i'm
pairment to the revenues on the pres
ent canals. Nor is it likely that the
traffic on the new waterway would
pay more than two per cent on the
But the convenience to
commerce in times of peace would be
while military necessity
may drive the government to contri-
buting the greater part of the cost.
The distance from Glasgow on the
Clyde to Grangemouth on the Firth
of Forth is less than, thirty miles. as
the crow flies. A more circuitous route
would have to be adopted to obviate
the necessity of too many locks.
Cutting Expenses.
Those highly trained gentlemen OF