Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-06
Monday, December 6, 1915.
A Mess of Political Ps.

and paternalism, seem to be the
administrations political pot-boilers,
if we are to judge from the utterances
Of Mr.. McAdoo Stripped of Nc
Adoosims, this is the situation On
March 3, 1918, the Republican party
turned over the Democratic Ad-
ministration a Treasury balance OF
s149,335,711. On November 1, 1915,
this balance had been reduced to less
than 100000. And yet, those
incapable of detecting Mr.. McAdoo's
Juggling of the figures would be led
to believe that there was still bal
ance in the Treasury of s117,Ooo.0oo.
To create this impression without ac-
tual Justification Of the figures Secre-
tary McAdoo has been compelled three
times to change the form of the daily
Treasury statement. each time show
ing an increased balance" by mere
process of bookkeeping and with no
addition Of cash to the fund actually
in the Treasury.
OF the most vital importance to
great number of citizens are the propo-
sitions of Secretary McAdoo to raise
additional revenue. This he would 40
and it is understood that the President
endorses his scheme. by levyinS special
and all
forms of lubricating oils formed from
petroleum. on all forms Of engines,
according to horsepower. on all auto
mobiles and. as he expresses it, "vari-
Gus other articles not necessary to
mention" Furthermore. Nh McAdoo
proposes to increase the income tax
by lowering the minimum income tax
able. so that all single men making
$1,000 a year and all married couples
making $4,000 year, or more, would
be taxed. He also proposes increas-
ing the tax on the income of all cor
porations. These taxes" he says,
would be wisely diffused and little
felt" conclusion which is cmphati-
cally rejected by all the Republicans
and many Democrats. including SO
staunch a supporter of the Wilson Adj
ministration as Senator Gore of Okla
homa, who has come out in an inter-
view against the proposed taxation of
gasoline, kerosene. etc.
So cleverly concealed in Mr.. Nc
Adoos statement of the Governments
finances that it requires an expert ac-
countant to dig it out is the admission
that the Democratic tariff bill has
failed by s124.525. 900 to supply the
needs of the government for the cur
rent year To the inadvisability of
continuing in force bill which falls
so far short of its purpose. and to the
grave blunder made by President Will
son in insisting that sugar be put on
the free list Mr.. McAdoo makes no di-
rect reference, but he does urge that
tIlS Tree sugar CiiuSe- Niltil SOeS lilto
effect May list. next. be repealed, esti-
mating that such repeal would obviate
by s15,000,000. Although the United
States is not at war, and although the
imports have not materially fallen off
because of the war. Mr.. McAdoo would
continue in force the war tax from
which source he estimates SAL 900 900
would be received. Although COM
PEELED to admit that the Democratic
tariff bill has so far failed of it's pur-
pose as a revenue measure, and al
though "A tariff for revenue only" has
long been the slogan of the Democratic
party, neither President Wilson, in his
forthcoming annual message, nor Sec
rotary McAdoo in his public statement
have the courage to state the fact that
the tariff tinkering of this Admins
tration has proved a rank failure and
that, even from a Democratic stand
point, the Underwood bill should be so
radically revised as to make it yield
sufficient revenue to meet the needs of
the Government.
Mr.. McAdoo-and it must be remem-
bered that he had the cordial endorse
ment of the President in his statement
contends that the Administration
will need to raise additional revenue
of not more than s112S06, 900 Re-
publican experts who have analyzed
his figures contend that they show of
themselves that the Democrats will be
compelled to raise s30o,0O0,OOO if they
are to leave the Treasury in as good
condition as they found it, and that if
they raise not more than s150,0OO, 900
they will leave it actually empty. "A
thoroughly deceptive statement, chief
ly notable for what it attempts to con-
ceal." is the way in which the Repub-
lican experts sum up the McAdoo-
Wilson statement of the Governments
finances. Mr.. McAdoo himself esti-
mates deficit for the next fiscal year