The midland journal., 1914-12-11
CONGRESS DEGREES DOLLARS IN
DULGING IN LUXuRIEs MUST
FIRST SALUTE THE FLAG.
War Revenue Tax Of $f05,oo0,o 700
LevIed-Beer Bears Brunt of
Burden.


Congress has levied a war tax of
$105, 100000 to Offset a similar amount
of loss on import revenue due to the
European disturbances and of this
amount beer is the heaviest
contributor, having been assessed ap-
proximately $50,0O0,0O0; stamp tax on
negotiable instruments, it is estimated,
will yield $31. .OOO,OOO; a tax on the
capital stock of banks of $4,3OO,000
and tax on tobacco, perfumes, thea
ter tickets, etc, makes the remainder.
Congress has decreed that the
brewer the banker and the investor
must shoulder the musket and march
to the front; that milady who would
add to her beauty must first tip Uncle
Sam, and dollar that seeks pleasure
must first salute the flag; that Pleas
ure and Profit--the twin heroes OF
many wars shall fight the nations
battles and by an ingeniously ar
ranged schedule Of taxation congress
has shifted the war budget from the
shoulders of Necessity to those of
Choice and Gain, touching in its
various ramifications almost every line
of business.
The market place has always been
favorite stand for war revenue col
lectors. The trader is a great fnan-
cial patriot His dollar is the first to
rally around the star-spangled banner
and the last to hear the COO of the
80 t. Sc, 11E -
buy cannon; to feed and clothe the
boys in blue and each month cheer
their hearts with the coin of the
realm. Men can neither be free nor
brave without food and ammunition,
and money is as important a factor
in war as blood Many monuments
have been erected in honor of heroes
slain in battles, poems have been writ
ten eulogizing their noble deeds and
the nation honors its soldiers while
they live and places monument upon
their graves when they die, but very
little has been said of the dollar that
bears the burdens of war.
Honor to the Dollar that Bears the
Burdens Of War.
All honor to the dollar that an
swers the call to arms and, when
the battle is over, bandages the
wounds Of stricken soldiers, lays a
wreath upon the graves of fallen
heroes and cares for the widows and
orphans.
A dollar may fight its competitor in
business, industries may struggle for
supremacy in trade and occupations
may view each other with envy or
suspicion, but when the bugle calls
they bury strife and rally around the
flag, companions and friends, mess
mates and chums. all fighting for one
flag, one cause and one country.
The luxuries in life have always
been the great burden bearers in gov
ernment. We will mention a few of
them giving the annual contributions
to the nations treasury: Liquor, $780,
e90, 900; tobacco, $103, 100000; sugar,
$54. 100000; silks. $15.5OO,O00; dia-
monds, $3.837, 900; millinery, $2,479..
900; furs, $2,O24,O00 and automobiles,
$S70,000. We collect $685., 100000 of
internal and custom revenue annually
and $3.50, 100000 Of this amount classi-
fies as Injuries, and to this amount
we should add the $10O,O0O.OOO war tax
now levied.
The war tax is Immediately effec-
tive. Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! the
industries are marching $1OO,OOO,0 900
strong and beneath the starry flag
they will fill the treasury again while
they shout, 4Hurrah for Uncle Sam!"