Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-04-12
REVENUE SYSTEMS WILL CHANGE


The Oregonan editorially says: "Two thirds Of our
imports now enter duty free Admitting this to be true
is it an injury or benefit to the country that it is so?
If they are admitted free then the American consumer
gets them cheaper than if they paid duty for ne would
have to pay the duty top of what he pays Is it
an injury to this country that it's citizens get Of
the things not made grown in it, without paying the
government tax for so doing? In the same editorial
our neighbor says: "We have sacrificed principal
source of revenue" This is undoubtedly true but it not
better to sacrifice that heretofore principal source OF
revenue and try some other source awhile.
The government requires a certain amount OF @oney
to maintain itself but it matters not to 1t where the
money comes from or by what process it is raised.
Heretofore the principal source of revenue was the
import duties collected foreign products but that does
not prove that it was is the better way for raising
the money necessary for the conducting OF the govern
ment
AS matter of fact is about the worst way in which
the money could be raised for it is per capita tax poll
tax under which the expense Of government IS borne
largely by the poor 1t is unequal and therefore an
unjust tax Take for instance the import duty now just
again levied upon sugar Who pays it?
The man at work on the streets with family Of four
or five to support pays of this the govern
ment derives from sugar duties than does Rockefeller or
Morgan Why should he?
A wise Frenchman said '"The tariff tax is the best
tax ever invented as under it you get more feathers
from the goose with less squaWking than under any
other" This true for it is tax paid as part OF the
price of an article and is not recognized as tax When
amount of sixty million dollars year Was that loss to
the average working was it gain? The consum-
ers of sugar simply paid that sum less than they otherwise
would have done and saved that much money. 1t had
to be made up in other way, but anyway the gov
ernment took its spoon out of the poor mans coffee and
tea cups and let the Industrious little housewife put up
few cans of fruit for her kddies during the winter
without taxing her for using sugar in so doing
Whether we like it not there is going to be radical
change in the system of gathering revenues for govern
mental use from now The eXigencies caused by the
European war will place tax on everything taxable, and
incomes will be the first to feel it. They will be taxed
the heaviest On top of this will be an inheritance tax
that will be almost confscatory at least until the war
debts are gotten within reaching distance of the peoples
ability to meet them under normal taxation systems
The example set by Europe will be followed to large
extent in this country and imports will pay less than
heretofore for the simple reason that if the commercial
war certain to follow the coming of peace is Waged as
fecey as economists predict import duties will be made
prohbitive When this is done the prices manufacturers
in this country will be permitted to charge will become
matter for government regulation for this will become
necessary to protect the people from the manufacturers
at home This sounds much like socialism, but whatever
it is it will come that is if one half the dire predictions
being made about what will come after the war are true