Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-16

MO MATTER how men may disagree on
1N religion, politics or the proper way of
driving a golf ball, there is one topic on
which they are all in one accord. Taxes are
too high.
But do you know why taxes are too high?
1t is because Of human nature-just plain
human nature
Human nature is the most expensive COM
modify on the face of the earth You will
believe that when you have stopped to think
DO you know what would be the average tax
rate-to fix upon only one of the effects of
human nature-if every man in the world
were absolutely honest? That is, If every
man came right out fatty and declared the
real value Of his taxable possessions? The
rate would be just five mills-s5 thousand
Instead Of that 1t averages nearer 500 thou
sand. That Is because it is just plain human
nature for a man to shade down the real
value of his earthly goods. He thinks he's
rather clever when he gets away with 1t. 1t
seems to him that he's been pretty smart
about showing a little OF the tax burden on
some other fellow. But, unfortunately, that
is every mans tendency Somehow it is hui
man nature TO want to squeeze down your
taxes all you can. Yet when everybody does
1t the only effect is to push taxes all the
higher. The cost of running the community
or the State Is always high or going higher
another effect of human nature; and when
everybody tells the assessors he has only
$4,000, when he really has twenty, the tax
rate has to be high to raise the necessary
money for the State or the community
And why is the cost of running the State
going higher all the time? Because it is hui
man nature-a fine side of human nature
for every citizen to want the State to build
new orphan asylums, new insane asylums.
new hospitals institutions of every variety,
better roads, new boulevards. 1t Is human
nature in us that everlastingIy Graves inn
provement. We are properly proud to achieve
this improvement, The only trouble is that
we seem to improve everything except hu-
man nature.
A Natural Exception
Because it is human nature for some man
in the States employ to give his brother-in-
law a fat contract instead OF letting It out
to the lowest bider, we stumble and fall in
our very acts of improvement.
Pennsylvania has one of the finest bodies
of police In the world-the Mounted Constab-
ulary. The whole country is proud of IT,
New York and Massachusetts are aching to
have an exact copy of that superb organiza-
tion. And yet it is, when you think OF it. un-
fortunate that any State has to have such a
body OF men. Wherever you go on the face
OF the earth you will fnd elaborate police
systems TO keep you in order And yet, II
human nature were only little better II It
were not so prone to steal and KILL think of
the poicemen's wages that might be saved
and spent on things that would make life
far bettet.
II you think this is an extreme or fanclfuI
view, let's go back to simpler Illustrations.
It is calculated that every year We burn up
about $25O.OOo,OOo worth OF property. Most OF
the ares that cause that huge loss are pre-
ventahle. Still 1t Is in human nature for us
all to be careless with matches and ciga-
rettes And so human nature costs us $780,
100000 a year in fires alone. Nay, il costs
us more besides. No prudent man would
think OF owning piece Of property without
having It insured. He may own that prop
erty all his life, all the while paying good
insurance money on it, without having the |
misfortune OF a FIRE In reality he has not
been insuring himself against fire; he has
been insuring himself against human nature, I
his own and somebody else's, But only think
OF the huge sums We should have 10 blow
on more amusing and improving things than
IRE Insurance, II human nature were good
enough, let US say 50 that We could halve
the insurance bill That is not too great a
degree Of perfection to demand Of human
nature certainly
Too Slow to Suit
just BOW State after state Is irving 10
knock out rum b. one or the other stringent
measure o. prohibition WIN that reauv
snoek cut booze entireyg Never kot unfIl
somsthlns substantial IS done 10 KNOCK -.
shs iasa q sem i human nature Il ssasf
re ~. u human nalers shaf nsznlls ghs