Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-10-30
NEWsY GOSSIP FROM NATIONAL CAPITOL

( on that essential and wants 10 restore
tns tobacco traif he also wishes 1t
| doubled and set aside for what he
calls q National Road FuD4 which. he
suggests, will be used by a bill which
he wiz introduce for the construction
and maintenance OF q magnificent
paved highway system radidtilS from
the capital OF the nation throughout
the country.
The new tobacco tax wou.c, he
says, foot up about $4,000. 00e a year,
which is to be utilized IN the coGstruc-
ito nof about $1,000 miles Of r7ats,
the cost of which is not to exceed
$4,000 or s25 900 a mile, and all OF
which according 10 his ideas could be
finished within five years.
Cutlinging his plan, Congressman
Warburton says: My bill will pro-
vide for the construction Of trunk
lines OF paved rCadways connecting
the capitals OF every state with the
national capital, and with each other,
and also with tae principal national
parks, the government to locate tie
lines between the capitals on the most
feasible route, the states granting TO
the government the selected read
ways for that purpose, together with
the improvement on them.
The bill will provide for a lG-foot
roadway, with heavy concrete base,
hard surface, such as asphalt or vitri
fed brick, in order to make the roads
dustless as near as possible. The Dill
will also provide for the best o n
struction and on easy grades. Thus.
1t will provide for the immediate com
struction OF an Atlantic and Gulf
line from Augusta, Maine to Baton
Rouge, La, and Tallahassee, Florida,
and a Pacific coast line from Olympia,
Wash to Los Angeles, Calf, and for
the construction OF the other lines as
rapidly as they can be built on the
income, which can ne done within five
years, provided the actual construc.
ton a be accomplished within that
time.
Our tax on tobacco is very small.
Our tax On whiskey and beer, and
our tariff on wc.olen and cotton goods
has not been reduced practically since
the late warf1 The tobacco tax was
reduced in 1873 because the govern
ment was getting more revenue than
it was using. 1t was decreased again
in 1879 for the same reason, and again
in 1883. Our tax on tobacco is not
%one-fourth of what it vas during the
late war. 1t was not taken off in
1879 because there was any demand
for reduction by the consumer; it
was removed simply because the
government was getting more money
than it needed.
While the proposed increased tax
on tobacco might sem heavy, yet as a
matter Of fact it will not even be no
ticed by the consumer. For instance.
it would raise the tax on a Decent
cigar 80 of l cent
The manufacturer of a Decent Gig.
ar would decrease the weight Of to.
bacco 1-30, and the consumer could
not tell the difference in size. The
manufacturer of smoking tobacco
would likewise decrease the size OF
the package about 1-12, and the con.
sumner would not know the difference
in the size of his package. During
the Spanish-American war the tax on
tobacco was increased to nearly the
amount suggested, and | venture the
assertion that not one consumer OF
tobacco out of a thousand who reads
my views in the Bismarck Tribune
ever knew that the tax vas raised,
and never knew when the tax was
taken off.
THE raise in the tax on tobacco
will not even affect the producer OF
tobacco. Une+half of our tobacco IS
exported. England imports one-half
of her tobacco from us; France i'm
ports about one-half ON hers fronl
us: Italy imports nearly all of hers
from us.
"The price is regulated by the fol
lowing market much more so than is
the price of whea: and corn, and is
not affected by the tax. For instance.
when England imports tobacco which
she busy on the market here, she
Immediately puts an internal recenuc
tax upon. it of five times as much as
Is imposed in my law; France and
italy about six times as much. The
farm price OF tobacco as a matter of
fact has been a little higher in this
country during the times when We
have had the heaviest tax upon it.
This can be easily ascertained by any
one who will take the trouble to study
the history of our tax, together with
the prices tobacco paid the farmer.
"The proposed scheme Of roads. |
think, is a most important one from
every point Of view. 1t is not neces-
sary to state the advantages o. such