The Butler weekly times., 1910-06-02
Vital Washington News.
By Clyde II. Tavenner.

dred and thirN-three millions of dol
lars!
Try to comprehend the magnitude
of this sum if you can, and then pause
and reflect over the fact that it is the
amount the Senate has voted to spend
on the navy IN A SINGLE YEAR,
and in time of profound peace.
Then consider that only IL years ago,
in 1898, the naval appropriation was
but S33, 002, 234, or one hundred mill
ions less than the amount appropriat-
ed for the coming year.
A fact in connection with this awful
increase which the public seldom
hears is that every penny of this
Sl00, 900, 600 which is to be spent in
excess of the amount used in 1893
comes from the people; not from the
rich, but largely from the working
men and women.
II is the ultimate consumer who |
pays the battleship bills, who main
tainS an ever-increasing army of Of
ficeholders in Washington, and who |
meets the one-hundred-and-one ex-
travagances of the government. He
does it by paying excessive prices for
the things he buys.
The government raises practically
all of its funds through the customs
houses and the internal revenue Of
ficeS, where taxes are levied on things
eaten, worn or used by the people.
When the consumer purchases pro-
tected article-and practically all of
the necessaries of life are protected
he pays the real or natural value of
the article and in addition thereto the
amount of the tariff tax.
The more battleships constructed,
the greater the amount the govern
ment must raise through the tax on
consumption, and the greater the
cost of living
Thus it is not so strange that under
the Taft administration, which is
spending more than twice the amount
used by Cleveland to run the govern
ment, the cost of living is so per cent.
greater than under the Cleveland ad-
ministration.
While the hat, coat and shirt of the
masses are taxed almost II per cent.
to build 100000 battleships and
keep an extravagant government in
spending money, Messrs. Rockefeller,
Morgan ct al are not asked by the
federal government to pay any tax
p whatever on their swollen fortunes.
Wealth escapes bearing its just
share of the burden of taxation be-
cause of the absence of a federal in
come or inheritance tax, such as were
long ago adopted by Great Britain,
Germany, France, Japan, Holland,
Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Aus
tralia and New Zealand.
A majority of both branches of
Congress were in favor of tacking an
income tax clause to the new tariff
law. Such Legislation would now be
upon the statute books had not Presi-
dent Taft and Senator Aldrich defeat
ed the project by substituting a cor
poration tax. That the necessary
three-fourths of the state legislatures
will not vote to amend the constitu-
ton is now practically certain, which
means that an income tax can only be
secured at the hands of Democratic
administration.
1t is estimated that in 1908 the cost
of living was nearly IL per cent. high
er than it would have been without
tariff. Hence, calculating that the
average family consumed s94l worth
of supplies per annum, its increased
payment on account of the tariff was
$11l. Of this slll, $3.50 went to
the government in collections, and
$94.50 went to the trusts in high
prices. Of this $94.5O, 1925 was on
woolens, more than $l7 on other
clothing, $6.25 on furniture, $4.25 on
beef and mutton and pork, $l0.25 on
building materials and so on.
In 1910, the cost of living being Is
per cent. higher than in 1908, the
average family pays $1,000, Of which
10 per cent, or $l08, is tribute to the
trusts and other protected industries.
Here is a little table which speaks
for itself. 1t compares the expendi-
lures on the army and navy i'm a