Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-05
Blot on tn. Internal Revenue Report

There are some features OK the in
ternal revenue report for the last fiscal
year Just made public, as there have
been with reference to similar exhibits
IN previous years, that are anything
but edifying The treasury derived no
less than 1922. 5os o99 from internal tax
alton, fully two-thirds Of which was
raised on articles Of commerce OF which
the production Is a detriment rather
than a benefit to the nation and its
people. There are many hones.-mind-
ed citizens who do not mince words or
attempt to soften terms when discuss
ing some Of the recognized sources OF
national revenue. It is unpleasant to
admit it. perhaps. but the country has
an unsavory reputation abroad. as has
recently been made evident by COM
ment upon the prevalence Of certain
forms Of lawlessness and ,recklessness
here, and still more unpleasant is it to
be confronted by the fact that this Is
largely due TO the legitimatizing of a
traffic that is unquestiona'bly breeder
Of vice and crime and every form Of
human misery.
For the present it will be better, per-
haps. to turn away from those featuees
come the historian Of this civilization
will strive in vain to reconcile with
some American pretensions to decency,
and to consider only the results
achieved thru the application Of new
form Of taxation. The corporations are
now paying their license fees as a mat
ter Of course. They have fallen into
the way of doing 1t very rapidly. No
less than 270.202 of them were sub
ject to the corporation tax last year.
an increase Of 7712 over the number
that made returns the previous cal
endar year. the first in which the new
tax waa operative. These 270,202 cor
porations had an aggregate capital
stock Of se7SsS,430,519. a figure that
would have amazed even the most OPP
timistic industrial expansionist OF
quarter of century ago. All the sta
:istics connected with them are on q
similar scale. They have bonded and
other Indebtedness. for instance, OF
OTIS, 1886. 00s. and their aggregate mel
income amounts to S3.3e0.250.642 an
nually. They contributed S33.511.52S 1n
taxes during the last fiscal year. or
little more than one-tenth OF the tota
internal revenue.
How much more the "big businesses
Of the country could bear In the SHAPE
! OF taxes than they are bearing now Is
question that would have to be ver1
| carefully considered. but it may b.
taken az practically settled that many
| Of them would gladly increase the!
contributions to the revenue II thereb!
they might be assured exemption from
the numerous attacks that are beint
4 made upon them under present condi
ton The fact that those who proh
most by the trusts and combines ar
disposed to part generously with thei
wealth after it has been accumulated
would seem to prove that money TO
its own sake is not after all, the great
est incentive TO the energy OF tn
American business man. Wealth mere
ly as wealth was never 80 little or D
lightly esteemed as now In the Unitet
States. either by those who have It o
by those who have It not; but success
in any walk and every walk OF lif
counts for more than ever.
Il Il It not probable that the evil Il
the present economic system, and tn
Disgrace in the present internal revenu
system may be wiped out at the sam
time and in the same way; that IL, b.
lthe application Of q taxing oysteE
which will curb tho bigneas OF tn
trusts while producing . revenue sui
hcient for government purposes, an
thereby render wholly unneceesATy Oh
licensing and legitimAtisin OF q tfANi
that makes for physical ana moFs
I1sDssdaasea. az