Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-22
TAXATION BY EDIcT

DY NO alchemy Of politics or states
- manship can II be brought about that
particular class of people shall receive
additional wages Of s5o.OoO,oOO without
other people paying the bill. The cost
is simply passed on to the rest Of the
public, just as any other tax is. 1t
comes on them in the form Of higher
prices for bread, or for coal, or for sugar,
or other necessities.
The Government has added millions TO
the internal taxes. 1t Is constructing
legislation now which will add millions
more. It is raising money wherewith to
buy islands in the sea at an extravagant
price, to construct armor.plate factories,
to buy merchant ships and TO engage in
other enterprises which heretofore have
not been considered as necessary or even
legitimate functions for government to
perform.
The man in the street does not think
of these things. To him the Govern.
ment has unlimited funds; is, in fact. a
sort of inexhaustible gold mine, and he
does not realize that his labor is one
of the nuggets in that mine. But as
the taxes increase, this man in the street
more for everything he buys. He won
ders why It is. Somebody tells him It
is due to the war. and he lets It go at
that. But always, and relentlessly, the
tax rate is operating on the cost of
living. The little fellow applauds the
income tax and thinks he is not paying
it, but he is. 1t is passed along, in one
way or another. A few may carry the
load for a time, but finally 1t is on the
back OF the general public.
The situation in the railroad world re-
solves itself simply into proposition to
tax the people of the United States an ad-
ditional s5o,oOO.OOO. Nobody is 30 cred.
ulous as to believe that the roads can
pay out such an enormous fund from
their present resources. II they must
pay It they must get It, ard the only
way in which they can get It is by in
creasing their rates. That creates a sit
uation which is exceedingly satisfactory
to the beneiclaries. 1t is a fine thing
to have somebody else collect $50, 900, 900
and hand It over TO you. But It is pretty
hard on the great mass of Americans who
have no unions, who do not or cannot
strike. who have no organized vote with
are always the lambs to be sheared.
The EVENING LEDGER holds a brief
for the great masses. 1t objects to see
ing them held up and their pockets
picked. We should be mighty glad TO
see the trainmen get twice the salaries
they are getting, but not at the expense
OF other laboring people who are already
paid less than the trainmen for as much
II not more work. Our sympathies are
with the household that finds 1t has to
economic on food because the cost of
living is leaping up with no compensatlng
gain in income. The prevention of rail-
way traffic is something to be avoided.
to be sure. but the really important issue
at stake is whether or not the people of
this country are to be taxed $4,000 900
a year forever hereafter for the Identical
service which they are now getting. It
may be too big price for avoiding the
threatened strike.
Possibly the President has taken this
phase OF the situation into consideration,
although 1t is notorious that the Admins
tration shows no more respect for a
million dollars than the ordinary man
does for a nickel. If wages are already
equal to what the traffic will bear. in
spite Of recent increases in rates, then
wages should remain what they are. The
President is not asking the railways 10
yield so much as he is insisting that
the whole American nation pay an enor-
nous yearly tribute for the privilege of
still having railroads in running order.