Bisbee daily review., 1916-02-01
Tuesday Morning, February 1, 1916.
INCOME TAX FOR ARMAMENT.

The United States supreme has pronounced our federal income tax constitutional the objections brought against swept away The justifes it in principle as consistent with the taxing powers of congress exercised from beginning the repub lie. It also upholds the method of applying it.
 It is now in the nations power to do what it likes with the income It could presumably raise all the money federal purposes by this method if it chose to do the supreme decision coming just time when the nation is planning for pensve armament, and wondering how it is going to pay the bi centerng attention income taxation
 method for raising least part of the funds needed
 national organization calling itself the Association for equitable Federal Income Tax is campaigning along this line It calls attention to the secretary of the treasurys estimate that there will be deficit in the receipts fthe federal government year of about s254 100000 which be somehow. It points out that if large expenditures defense. the of the government within two years will be ssOOOOOOOO If the big defensive program is put through of course the amount will be much larger
 Heretofore our government has raised money almost tirely by the indirect methods internal For local and state purposes direct taxes have
 
 sociation holds that in both of the revenue by far from the of the The smaller the income the larger is the pro- portionate contribution under system which di- rectly indirectly many workmen nearly fifth of their earnings earned incomes are taxed much more heavily in effect, than unearned incomes"
 The left as natural field for teh raising of federal funds. In that field have merely scratched the soil Last obtained trifle s41OOOOOO from the per sonal income That is about fl cents per capita Before the England raising s22S,OO0OOO a year from her income tax about O5.O7 per capita On that basis could raise s5OOOOOOOO year, even if our average incomes no larger than English incomes
 Certainly the income paid so far hasn't hurt any of much To begin with s4OOO year is exempt for married men and $SOOO year for single men. Above those figures the surplus is taxed per up S2O, 900. Between $2OOOO and s5OOOO the is per cent then up to s75,OOO, it is peS cent up $1OOOOO 4 up S25OOOO per cent; up S5O,OOO per cent and that per Obviously, this deprives no citizen of food or even of automobiles.
 Some idea of the vast wealth eligible to such tax be got the that there were in this country last by their statement 174 persons with in comes of over S5OOOOO year; 234S with incomes of s10OOOO more 7,5O9 with incomes of s5OOOO or more The total incomes of those 75Os were ss5O OOO OOO
 Now it is urged that instead of imposing war taxes" along the lines apparently contemplated by congress- the income tax be made rapidly progressive and intensive The exemption might be little But the main point is that it would be fair considerable crease in the rate of the larger The Income Tax Association recommends that those receiving an come of more than s1OOOOOOO year taxed fifth
 third of their incomes There would graduated creases all the way down the line
 It would be easily possible, without laying an unjust burden anyone thinks the association to raise s3OO
 There is a considerable demand for federal inheri- tance tax to defray of the of denfense It objected however that that particular taxing power ought to be left to the states which are constantly need ing more money for enterprises
 The income tax, at any rate is likely to be the main dependence hereafter for the raising of new funds by the national government though the present ion gress may not far in that direction as many ta,- experts would like.