The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1915-12-09

be for the fiscal yeae 1917, sea, 500, 900.
Those figures. taken with the figures
for the present fiscal year which i
have already given, disclose our fnan-
cial problem for the year 1917. AS.
suming that the taxes imposed by the
emergency revenue act and the pres
ent duty on sugar are to be discontin-
ued, and that the balance at the close
of the present fiscal year will be only
$2O,644,6O5.78, that the disbursements
for the Panama canal will again be
about twenty-five millions, and that
the additional. expenditures for the
army and navy are authorized by the
congress, the deficit in the general
fund of the treasury OH the thirtieth
of June, 1917, will be nearly two hun
dred and thirty-five millions. To this
sum at least fifty millions should be
AIDED to represent safe working bal
ance Tor the treasury, and twelve mil
mons to include the usual deficiency
estimates in 1917; and these additions
would make total deficit Of some two
hundred and ninety-seven millions. If
the present taxes should be continued
throughout this year and the next
however, there would be balance in
the treasury Of some seventy-six and
half millions at the end of the pres
ent fiscal year, and deficit at the
end or the next year cf only some fifty
millions, or, reckoning in sixty-two
millions for deficiency appropriations
and safe treasury belance at the end
OF the year, total deficit of some
one hundred and twelve millions. The
obvious moral Of the figures Is that it
Is a plain counsel Of prudence to con-
tinue all Of the preesnt taxes or their
equivalents, and confine ourselves to
the problem Of providing $112,000,000
of new revenue rather than $297, ,0OO,-
900.
New Sources Of Revenue.
How shall we obtain the new reve-
nue.? It seems to me clear dictate Of
prudent craftsmanship and frank
nnance that in what we are now, |
nope, to undertake, we should pay as
we go. The people of the country are
entitled to know just what burdens Of
taxation they are to carry, and to know
from the outset now. The new bills
should be paid by internal taxation.
TO what sources, then, shall we
turn? This is SO peculiarly question
which the gentlemen Of the house of
representatives are expected under
the Constitution to propose an answer
to that you will hardly expect me to
do more than discuss it in very gen.
eral terms. We should be following
an almost universal example of mod
ern government If we were to draw
the greater part or even the whole Of
the revenues we need from the in
come taxes. By somewhat lowering the
present limits of exemption and the
| figure at which the surtax shall begin
| to be imposed, and by increasing, step
| by step throughout the present gradu-
alton, the surtax itself, the income
taxes as at present apportioned
would yield sums sufficient to balance
the books Of the treasury at the end
of the fiscal year 1917 without any
where making the burden unreason-
ably or oppressively heavy. The pre-
else reckonings are fully and accurate
ly set out In the report Of the secre-
tary Of the treasury which will be i'm,
mediately laid before you
| And there are many additional
sources Of revenue which can Justly be
resorted to without hampering the in
dustries OF the country or putting any
too great charge upon individual ex-
penditure. A one per cent tax per
gallon on gasoline and naptha would
| yield, at the present estimated pro.
duction, $10.000,000; tax of SO cents
per horse power on automobiles and
internal explosion engines, $15,OOO,-
900; stamp tax on bank checks.
probably $4,000, 900; q tax Of 25 cents
per ton on pig iron, $10,000,000; a tax
OF 30 cents per ton on fabricated iron
and steel, probably $10,O00,OOO. In a
country of great industries like this it
| ought to be easy to distribute the bur
dens of taxation without making them
anywhere bear too heavily or too ex-
clusively upon any one set Of persons
or undertakings. What is clear is.
that the industry of this generation
should pay the bills Of this generation.
have spoken to you today, gentle
men, upon q single theme, the thor
ough preparation OF the nation to care
Tor It's own security and to make sure
or entire freedom to play the impartial
role In this hemisphere and in the
world which we ell believe to have
been providentially assigned to 1t.
have had in my mind no thought Of
any immediate or particular danger
arising out Of our relations with other
nations. We are at peace with all
the nations Of the world, and there Ia
reason to hope that no question in
! controversy between this and other
governments will lead to any serious
breach OF amicable relations, grave as
some differences Of attitude and policy
have been and may yet turn out to be.