The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-02-13
Internal Taxes Fall Far
Below Estimates.

There can be no cavil as to the
absolute fact that the United
States Treasury is confronted with
q defciency-an appalling lafge,
deficiency. Our law-giver5 ana
others in charge OF the govern
ment may dispute as e. the cause
of the trouble, may waste their
valuable time and the peoples
patience as to whose fault it was;
but be that as it may, the wrang-
ling over it will not aud cannot
alter the dread and imminent fact,
that the expenses of the govern
ment exceed to an alarming ex'
tent its revenues.
Better ignore the past, deal firm
w with the present contingency,
and prepare wisely for the future.
Il 10 estimated that there is prac'
tically an eighty million dollar
deficit.
When the Underwood tariff bill
became q law it was cones dsd
that the reduction of the tariff
would naturally cause a deficit.
but Congress thought j: had pro-
vided against this contingency by
the adoption of the income tax
From the estimates furnished,
Congress believed that the income
tax provision in the. Underwood
bill would produce seventy million
dollars. The absolute facts. how
ever, show receipts from that
source Of only S28, 253, 534.85. The
income tax, therefore, failed to
provide adequately for the de.
fciency.
Congress then resorted to what
is called the war tax. The idea is
novel, to say the least of it; that
is. of subjecting the people TO- a
war tax when our country is at
profound peace with all of the
earth. Anyhow, it was enforced
with the purpose and hope OF
meeting the deficiency in the>rev.
enuee. It was thought that the
war tax measure would yield at
least ninety millions of dollars
We are informed, however, as a
matter of fact, that the Secretary
Of the Treasury es:imates that the
war tau will approximately yield
1ifty.four million for the fiscal
year 1915 In despite, therefore,
Of the means efforded by these
two methods Of direc. taxation,
Congress ard the United States
\ Treasury are brought face to face
with deficiency Of about eighty
4 millions IT dollars. This situation
must be met. 1t cannot be evadGd
II viii be met we know; bu. j,
should be met in the fairest way
and the least burdensome way 70
the people.
We believe that Congressman
Robert F. Broussard has proposed
the fairest, best and least burden.
some way TO the people in the
resolution introduced by him in
the present Congress which con-
templates the "suspension of the
free sugar clause OF the Under
wood bill, which provides FIR free
sugar after May lst, 1916" BY this
mcans Congress will largely, il
not completely do away With Oh.
deficiency tina. now confronts the
United States Treasury.
The main reason, no doubt
which induced Congress 70 reduc
the tariff was in the interest Of the
contumer. The facts show, how.
ever, that the refner, the Sugar
Trust, not the consumer, has ben
ca ted by the reduction. 1t mus
be conceded. for it is a fact, tha
the coneumer pays more for sugal
now than he did at the time III
tariff vas reduced. The reduction
hurts the government. docs no
help .the consumer, but it j ses
benefit the Sugar Trust, to the ia.
Jury Of both.
We think, therefore, with GU
distinguiehed Congressman, ths
author OF the aforementioned
resolution, ia the interest OF tn,
government and the consumer
that We return to the time.honoree
system Of collecting taxes on ar.
ticles that can bear the duty, par.
4 ncularly when remission OF tn
duty does not cheaper their pricf
70 the consumer. as is the. cast
with sugar
Madam Rumor has 1t that cx.
4 Gov. Jared T. Sanders will be
lively opponent OF the Right Hon.
orablo Lewis Morgan in the mex
okirmish for Congress from tn,
immortal sixth district. Con,
reksanen Sanders! Doesn't sount
& 80 III. dnaa Up We hnne III,