Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-09-04
WAR PROFITS TAX.

ordinarily, the vagaries OF the Des
nas register and it's adopted cnlio'
the Evening Tribune. are merely anus,
Ing. Always they explain the iallure
AZ the states biggest newspaper olsan-
ization to produce a big neWspapeld,
For many years they nave 1o,loMe1
the devious path of ism-worshlp oiazeu
nv false political prophets, anu inns
Tort exnlains. while it does not excuses,
the Inconsistencies that have rooDe9
the,r editorial pages Of influence anu
standing. +ha do.
tense OF Professor Hammitt OF Mason
City. former principal OF the ottunima
Hiph school, whose questions 10 .ne
chicago Tribune are published on tnis
noge together with that newspaper 5
renIv Also 1t defends the course OF
Iafc,,ette and his fellow radicals IN
tho senate. who In their unreasonlns
end impractical play to the galleries
90 wing with each other in efforts 10
think of bigger figures than have been
n,an+,oned as 2 basis for taxing war
profits. vo c+,v
t,s sort that would be expected from
persons who, as the Chicago Ilioune
saws, never have had 10 meet pas
roll on Saturday night. He attemp.s
to apply academic questions 70 P ps
fical business conditions ana me nes
ister applauds his effort. 1t goes iur.
Their and chooses the Du Point fo"oe.
company for concrete Illustration VI
excessive wartime profits.
II. instead Of quoting the big figures
representing the profits OF the Du ROM
interests In wartime, 1t had SHOWN
the percentage of dividend tnose
profits paid on the increased capl!al
reouired TO expand production: us
rather frantic appeals for relief 1or
the poor laboring man" would nave
ring more true. But the case "ouid
not have shown so strong against Dig
business" Therefore, Why be prac'
sisal? .,n,. vn.n y is highly i'm,
,,rtant that the people of the United
States deal with facts and not WIN
theories. Il Is time when con-
sciantious effort must be made IN con-
sress ia arrange a system OF taxation
vhich will make the men and corpora
t,ons that realize excessive profits by
rea.on Of the war pay the bulk OF the
cost Of the countrys participation III
the conflict.
On these propositions there is agree
uert In every quarter. The difference
n views arises over the question as
- Now much of war profits can be
ala lined by the government without up
sattinv the extraordinary business con-
Ait;ons which exist and which must
sant,nue while the government Is de-
randins expansions and excessive
nroduction in practically every line OF
The Courier is committed to the
,ronosition that taxation OF war
nrof,ts should be on as high a basis as
rnssihle. taking into consideration the
necessity which producing concerns
face for excessive amounts OF avalt.
able capital The Courier does not
nresume to say just what percentage
renresents that basis Neither Is II
viilins to accept as final the opinion
n fho Register nor Professor ham
MN nor. for that matter, The Chicago
Tribune.
The men chosen to settle the point
and name the figure are the members
Of congress. They have the necessary
figures and authoritative reports be-
fore them. They have the power to
summon anyone in America who can
add to the information these reports
convey. In justice to the public which
must make so many sacrifices In this
neriod. II Is their duty to weigh their
information carefully. The task OF fix
ing the war tax levies Is as important
as was that Of determining whether to
n@ MI Yyoh
congress who has not the personal
knowledge which actual experience IN
business gives should be quick to de-
mand authoritative facts from those
who have that knowledge.
But blatant speeches and cheap polit-
ical tricks are not Indicative OF serious
study OF great problem in finance
and defense. Senator Lafollette can
not command the confidence of the
public In a crusade based on prejudice
and not on sober Judgment. particu-
larly at this time when for months he
has been giving utterance to declara-
lions no more disloyal than those for
which pro-Germar agitators in civil
life have been warned and threatened
with arrest.
Instead of accepting the view of La
toilette whose CHASING after lsms mas
been the outstanding feature Of his
public career. the thinking people of
the country prefer to rest their hopes
OF fair wartime taxation with the
majority of the senate. which has DEM
onstrated its loyalty to the country at
this time when there is no middle
ground between loyalty and disloyalty.
When the majority sets the war
profit tax basis the country expects
It to be at the highest possible point.
If 1t reaches the mark set by Lafol.
lette the public to which war means
only sacrifice will be the gamer but
not at the hands of the Wisconsin sen.
ator. An abiding faith in the good
judgment of the senate's majority JUS
titles the confident hope that the final
figure will be safe from the standpoint
q American business and material