Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-05-25
SWEDEN.

military system through special taxa
ton. Every branch of the military is
spick and span; every regiment Is
equipped with the most modern weap-
ons and accoutrements and the entire
army Is ready to take the field. This
has been made possible only through
an extra $20.250,000, which has poured
into the Golfers of the state since the
world war began. Special taxes, laid
on the shoulders of those best able to
bear the burden. have solved the prob
lem. The defense tax, voted In 1914,
is doing the work, in spite Of the OPP
position from those who felt that they
were paying more than their share OF
the amount needed by the state. For
the tax has been assessed only against
individuals with an income of moro
than 1880 and property valued at
more than $500. There is a progress
sive rate to be paid, which ascends
from LIS per cent to ~ per cent. The
tax was voted for the three years,
1915, 1916 and 1917. The tax hits
80 900 individuals and 5000 corpora
tions. The regular Swedish income
tax begins at either an income of
1915 or a property holding of $500
and 1t ascends from a per cent to 2.2
per cent of the assessed amount.
There are certain exemptions and
privileges. Sweden allows the head
of family to deduct $27 for every
child, and allows certain amounts up
to SS1 to be deducted in localities
where the cost of living is abnormally
high. But there is little in the way
Of income or property that escapes
the eye of the tax assessor in Swe-
den. In the assessment of the tax
against property so per cent Of the
value of the property is added to the
income and the amount thus obtained
forms the assessed sum. II happens
also that dividends of limited liabil-
ity companies are taxed at least
twice-first, in the entire profits of
the corporation, and, secondly. as
dividends distributed to each share
holder.
The Ford peace party, reduced now
to a working basis, with delegates
present from the six neutral coun-
tries of Norway. Sweden, Denmark.
Holland, Switzerland and the United
States, has recently been very active
in Stockholm and has enjoyed the
official recognition of having been re-
ceived by the foreign ministers of the
three Scandinavian countries. To each
of these were presented appeals ad-
dressed in diplomatic French to the
kings and the parliaments. asking that
the neutral governments organize an
official neutral conference to offer its
services in bringing about peace. The
Ford party is now known as an ''un-
official peace conference of neutral
nations" The same appeal, addressed
to the president and to the "parlia-
ment" of the United States, also was
offered to the American minister, Ira
Nelson Morris. Mr.. Morris held, how
ever. that It did not come within his
diplomatic province to accept appeals
directed to the president and to con-
gress. so he advised his visitors to
present the matter direct to Washing
ton. The peace representatives also
have had an interview with the Brit
ish minister here and have requested
that they be given the right to travel
freely In the belligerent countries and
that they be permitted to bring to
Stockholm from these countries per-
sons in a position to advise with the
unofficial conference as to various
steps to be taken in the future.
Witnesses who testified at an In
quiry regarding the capture of the
Danish schooner Olga by a German
trawler. while en- route from Hahn
stad to England in March, declared
that the vessel was seized while ip
Swedish waters.