The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-08-15
TAXING THE OTHER FELLOWS


ed to tell them why. In this article
we want to explain how the higher
taxes of the future may be paid more
easily than have the lower taxes of
the past.
Senator Borah, the Gladstone and
Bismarck of our state, has been max
ing an exhaustive study of the tax
question, and in speech in the senate
recently he stated that county, state
and national expenditures double
about every five years. This in the
face of the great moral and economic
movements holding out promise of
reduction of expenses for the govern
ment, do not look encouraging Roos-
evelt, the great advocate of universal
peace, has steadily insisted upon
greater ornaments. Emperor Will
liam of Germany, in celebrating his
silver jugilee, was complimented up
on his work for universal peace and
he said he felt more pride in that
than anything else he had devoted
his energies to, but at the same time
the imperial parliament of the empire
was making an appropriation for their
ornaments for sum that exceeded
by ESQ million, any previous appro-
piaion for such purpose, and they
planned to raise this sum by making
the income tax apply to persons Of
smaller incomes than it had been
previously collected from. The ex-
emption was reduced from $4,000 in
come to include those ranging as low
as $3.50, and the class whose in
comes ranged from $3.50 to $500
have to raise this additional $50 mill
lion for the new armament.
An income tax is now pending
adoption by congress, and it proposes
placing the exemption at $4,000, that
is, applying it only to those whose in
comes are more than that amount
1t is claimed that this will affect only
three per cent of the people, but the
operation of the law as offered, would
collect from them one eighth of the
total tax. The larger the income,
the heavier the tax, so that its oper-
alton would not deprive anyone of
money needed for necessities or COM
mon comforts as would be the case
with the low exemption in Germany.
In the United States tax of about
six dollars head is collected on con-
things imported and things requiring
revenue stamps, such as liquors. to-
baOGo and cigars. The tax is added to
the price of the goods, and people be-
come so accustomed to it they do not
realize they are paying taxes. The
man with large family to feed and
clothe has to pay more of this than
anybody else, and the income tax is
designed to give him some degree of
relief. The direct tax levied by the
assessor is the one that Idaho farmers
have nearest in their control, and we
want to suggest ways to meet. it in
the near future.
Make Nature Pay it
In treating this subject we address
ouself to farmers and those depend
ing upon the agricultural pursuits,
and that includes everybody in such
counties as this. The average man
who pays a hundred dollars taxes,
feels greatly disturbed if he is charg-
ed ten dollars more than usual, but
it is not so important whether he
pays ten or twenty dollars more tax
es as whether he has fifty or hun
dred dollars more income from his
place than usual, or whether he gets
the same work accomplished with If
ty or hundred dollars less expense
than by the old system. With prices
rising all about him. nobody expects
to get through any cheaper, so it be-
comes question of doing it better
or at better time and securing bet
er results. And by this we do not
mean simply doing things better with
the same tools but by getting in touch
with a new and better management
tina means no discredi to his past
work, but applies to all alike.
To make this palmer let us 60
back Is years. At that time the far
mer and his family raised raw ma
terials and manufactured them at
home into most of the things they
needed The tools used were the same
that had been used for thousand
years, with no improvements. An
era of invention came along, and i'm
provements were made in wagons;
plows were made with steel parts to
urn the soil; a reaping machine was
invented; threshers were built; the
he roller process of milling, the corn