The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-05
(By Hon. Corden Hull of Tenn, Au-
 thor of the Income Tax.)

fVDy I1OI. OOrueu HUH O1 lc1iIi-, Au-
 thor of the Income Tax.)
 The receipts of the present federal income tax law as originally enacted. for the fAcaI year ending June 30, 1916. were *124. 100000. This splen- did showing has more than justified the highest expectations of the fram- CTS of the law. The largest estimate made at the time of its enactment fixed its receipts at $12O,000, ,O0O. This law naturally required about two years to attain its normal revenue yield. This is true both as to income and inheritance tax laws.
 At the present time nearly sixty countries and states have income tax laws in operation. When once enact ed no country has been known to re- peal such law. While no tax is popu- lar or welcome on the part of the citizen, yet. it can be said that the
 tax on incomes is more generally acceptable than any other tax thus far devised. This statement is true because every taxpayer realizes that the, income tax is imposed according to ability to pay and because the best test of ability is net profit or income. This tax more nearly than any other meets the two prime requisites of tax Fation, which are adequate revenue and equitable tax burdens. This prin- E381e of taxation, which has been the offcome of generations of tax discus sim and legislation in most countries, c4m bines more of the essentials of a dSBirab1e tax than other methods. No o4P method of taxation, however, sli buld be considered singly, but as a p&ft of the revenue system which all tales combine to form. The economic sdundness of the. principle of the in come tax is now so universally recog- nfzed that few citizens here or else- where directly oppose this tax.
 The reason and necessity for se- curing substantial amount of federal revenue from the income tax at the [ present time are supported by an l overwhelming state of facts. The utter futility and absurdity of relying on the tariff to afford sufficient rev. enue to meet the extraordinary ex- penditures necessary for the enlarge ment of the army, navy and 'fortifica- lions is patent to every citizen of even | partial intelligence. The framers of the Payne tariff law found themselves wholly unable to so draft that meas ure as to secure an amount of revenue nequisite to meet the demands of the treasury under normal conditions. The House Committee was obliged to in- eert a provision taxing inheritances to the extent of $20,000.000. With this new internal tax added their estimates still left the treasury shy $10, ,000, 900. They later substituted the Corporation Tax The internal taxes of the gov ernment exceeded the tariff taxes dur ing three of the four years existence of the Payne tariff law. The well known standpatter in his champion ship of ultra high protection has al- ways sought to create the vague inn pression that the tariff afforded an unlimited source of revenue to be tap ped at will by the federal government according to its 1. necessities. This misleading impression will be remov- ed from the popular mind, whether the affairs of the government be ad- ministered during the next few years by the one political party or the oth- CT. The federal government is now called on to levy extraordinary taxes to meet extraordinary expenditures. The total federal taxes will be near l $500, ,00O, ,000 annually, until the pro- gram for increased ornaments and fortihcations, is completed No po- litical party has ever been able to Ileyy a tariff tax thar would yield in excess of $330,000,000. The rev. ! enue necessity for the income tax, therefore, must be conceded by even the most ultra champion of standpat- ism a nd SDecia1 Drivi1eVe
 , There is another ground in support of this tax equally important to the American people, and that is the ne- cessity for equalizing our hitherto
 grossly disproportionate tariff and
 other tax burdens. The American
 people are required annually to con- tribute tin taxes the sum of more than $2,00O, ,000,0 ,0OO for governm ental purposes-federal, state and local.
 These taxes are imposed in many forms, such as the general and special
 property tax, the tariff tax, the in ternaf tax, the business, license, occu- patton, poll, road and street. and other taxes. The peddler, the huckster, the popcorn vendor, and those engaged in most occupations, are required to
 pay special taxes in addition to the l
 all citizens. The general property tax is supposed to embrace in it's ap- T fplication all property owners. The
 almost universal verdict of economic and tax authorities, however, is that ! the general property tax system has l practically broken down. The recent conclusion of the New Pork legisla- live committee on taxation but echoes the views expressed in the reports | of the tax commissions of the various
 states as follows:
 "As has already been shown,
 the property tax falls with great
 est weight on the man of small
 means, on the widow, on trust es-
 tates, on young and struggling
 / business concerns. and, generally
 speaking, on those least able to
 bear it."
 The result has been that the masses i of the people are already contributing ] far more than their reasonable share
 of the s2,130, 100000 of taxes paid
 e. c.