The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-07

imposed, and by increasing step by step
throughout the present graduation, the
surtax itself, income taxes as at present
apportioned would yield sums sufficient
TO balance the books of the treasury at
he end of the fiscal year 1917 without
anywhere making the burden unreason-
ably heavy. He added that there were
many additional sources of revenue
which justly could be resorted to with
out hampering the industries of the
country or putting any too great charge
upon individual expenditure. He esti-
mated that one cent per gallon on
gasoline and naptha would yield $10,-
100000; tax of 80 cents per horse
power ON automobiles and internal ex-
plosion engines, $15,000,000; stamp
ak on bank checks, probably S1S,00G,-
900; and a tax of % cents ton on
fabricated iron and Steel probably So
100000.
The President said there was reason
TO hope that no question in controversy
between this and other governments
would lead to any serious breach Of
amicable relations, and that he was
sorry to say that the gravest threats
against national peace and safety had
been uttered within the country S own
borders.
There are citizens of the United
States, l blush to admit, - he declared,
born under other flags, but welcomed
under our generous naturalization laws
| 10 the full freedom and opportunity of
America, who have poured the poison
Of disloyalty into the very arteries of
our national life; who have sought to
bring the authority and good name Of
our government into contempt, to de
stroy our industries wherever they
| thought it effective for their vindic-
| tive purposes, to strike at them and
| TO debase our politics to the uses of
| foreign intrigue.
| No federal laws exist to meet this
| aituation, said Mr.. Wilson, because
such thing would have seemed incred-
| ible in the past. ''Such creatures of
passion, disloyalty and anarchy, he
added, Unjust be crushed out. They
are not many but they are infinitely
malignment and the hand of our power
| should close over them at once.
Turning again to military questions,
| the President said he might find it ad-
visable to call into systematic consul
| tation with the directing officers of
the army and navy, men of recognized
ability who are familiar, for example
with the transportation facilities of the
| country and therefore competent to adj
wise how they may be co-ordinated when
| the need arises, those who can suggest
the best way to bring about prompt CO.
operation among the manufacturers
and those who could assist to bring
| the technical skill of the country to
the aid of the government in the solu
ton of problems of defense. He said he
might later ask congress for an appro
priation to defray the expenses of such
work.
The President told the members he
might address them again later on com
mercial conditions about which much
legislation has been passed, and which
are likely to change rapidly after the
war when the nations of Europe agar
| take up their task of commerce ano
industry. The most that can be done
now, he said, is to make sure that tht
necessary instrumentalities are at hanC
for securing adequate information.
Regarding the railroads, the Presi
dent said there had been reason to fear
, that they could not cope much Longer
) with the transportation problem, ane
suggested it would be wise to provid,
: Tor commission of inquiry to ascer
tain whether the laws as at present
: framed and administered were as ser
viceable as they might be in the solu
ton of the problem. He said that the
regulation of the railroads by fedora
! commission has had admirable results
and that the question was whethe
there was anything else to be done t.
better the conditions under which the
: railroads are operating.
L