The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-07-25
INCOME TAX LAW WILL
INCREASE REVENUES
and EQUAL|zE TAXATION
Will Reach All Glasses, Many of
Whom Now Escape Burden of
Taxation. -So Say Trainers

washing tolI, ~. ", July Il. by Wv
the revenue of the 100000 I
doing business in the a
United States, The trainers Of the In. l
come Tax law aim 10 get at the prlncl. I
pal source OF the taxable wealth OF the
according to Judge Cordell
Hull, who represents in Congress the
Fifth Tennessee district. In striking.
ly Illustrated article in National Water.
ways, published in this city by the
National Rivers and HarborS Congress,
Representative Hull, who seems to be
as stoutly opposed to the Protective
Tariff system as he is committed to the
Income Tax amendment to the Tariff
Bill now before the senate, of which he
is the author, states that much less
than one.half OF the value of realty is
reached for taxes, while intangible
personality escapes taxation to the ex-
tent of eighty.f1ve or ninety per cent OF
its total" Such evasion and unequal
assessments, he declares, handicap the
revenue and impose undue burdens and
hardships upon honest taxpayers.
1.-THE sum total of tax conditions in
this country" he AYERS, e" is that the
masses of the people who are least able
to do so are compelled to pay the chief
portion of both federal and state and
local taxes, They pay about all OF our
S312, 100000 of internal revenue
taxes, they pay the greater portion OF
our one or two billion dollars of state
and local taxes. A comprehensive in
come tax law closely approaches the
Golden Rule of taxation; no one can
escape his reasonable proportion OF
taxes. The miser, the sojourner a.
broad, the holder of hidden wealth,
especially intangible personality, are
all caught within its net"
1.-THE scientific income tax would be
an accurately graduated tax with its
lowest rate applying to the income just
above that required to support an
average family. In view OF the TACT
that the great bulk of our more than
two billion dollars of government
state and local taxes are now paid BY
citizens whose incomes are undel
$4,000, it is not deemed unfair to fix thu
exemption for the present at the lattel
figure, Later, when the new law be
comes generally understood and 40
i. iusted to the country and taxes ar
h better equalized, or the needs OF tn
Treasury greater, the exemption Woul
: naturally be lowered to something Xix
y $4,000 and special deductions Above
D according to the size of the family, tn
b number of INDECENT relatives bein
8 supported, and for premiums paid 0
Z life insurance, etc. The proposed e.
? emption of $4,000 would embrace thes
} latter without special mention thereo
D Furthermore, the Government onl
q needs S1OO,0O0,000 additional revenu
( at this time. These, among other
Z afford the chief reasons for insertin
= the proposed rates and exemptions
H.
y the pending bill. These rates ca
y easily and quickly be raised or lowere
\ by Congress during any year, accor
q ing to the needs of the treasury, wit
q out business disturbances such
y tariff changes occasion.
y "This measure would impose the t.
a upon four classes of individuals, Viz:
q /. Citizens of the United States r
q siding at home.
- Q. Such citizens residing elseWhei
" 3. Alien citizens residing in I
y United States.
81 q. The income of alien citizens
q siding elsewhere derived from proper
IA owned and business transacted in t
a United States"
" Congressman Hull records the IL
" that more than $50 countries and stat
I'D have adopted this tax, and genera
AZ for the two.fold purpose OF ralsl
"a revenue and equalizing tax burdel
"a Wherever given a reasonable trial,
Y points out, it has never been repeal
~ save in the United States, and this
AS peal was effected as an efficient mea
@ of perpetuating system OF high q
a extortionate protective tariff taxatlo
"a sother governments likewise III
" found themselves confronted W
W similar unjust tax laws and uneq
ey tax burdens. In their efforts for
90 provements in their respective fls
"a policies, the great and always sou
q has been to devise a tax that car
y imposed according to ability to pay
~ to benefits received, thereby equallz
AZ 4ba Inv burdens. that will he cert