Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-05

Here is the grievance and suggestion OF a
New York publisher:
we would state that the suggested pub
lishers' tax of per cent on advertising
would increase our taxes by more than
$4,000. and in connection with other taxes,
Federal and state, would likely eat up our
entire profits
We would favor a higher corporation in
come tax rate"
And a St Louis chemical company eX-
presses itself like this:
why should the successful business man.
who can make a better profit than his less
talented competitor and who is Il more val
liable citizen than his competitor be pun
ished for this, while the farmer and the
professional man who may make ten times
as much so-called excess profit 60 scot
free? No just man can say that this is
right"
This concern thinks the whole revenue
should be raised by uniform tax on sales
Of merchandise.
The Farmer Also Kicks
Evidently 1t is hard to please those who
are TO be taxed for war necessities. Every
body is patriotic. but very few are going
10 be satisfied with the war-tax levy, or
those additional leves which must be made
hereafter for war expenses and to pay
interest on our loans. Already the var
oill Of the United States is nearly equal
TO that Of Great Britain. and If the Allies
continue 10 make demands upon us it will
not be long before the United States will
have spent more than any one of the bell
ligerent nations OF Europe
IL Is not manufacturers alone or bust
ness men who are complaining. The grain
raiser is not quite satisfied with his So per
bushel rate. He contends that he is to be
taxed to the extent of the difference between
" per bushel and what grain will actually
bring. There have been some grain states
men in Washington recently who have
talked very plainly to some cotton states
men about the freedom of cotton from taxes
and from the export embargo which per-
tains to other commodities. 1t is not GER
tam but that sooner or later cotton will
nave TO pay something or will have TO be
restricted by embargo since it Is now openly
charged that cotton is going into Germany
and is supplying ammunition with which
TO shoot up American soldiers.
1hat the farmer has been touched by the
senate suggestion to tax farmers profits is
evidenced by resolutions that have recently
been coming to Washington in considerable
numbers Take the resolutions of the Will
mingtoh Cooperative Truck Growers AS
ISOLATION OF North Carolina. They start out
with the customary declaration of patriot
ism ana a whereas" which declares that
they ask no immunity or release as farm
ers and patriotic Americans from our full
snare OF the burdens OF taxation with which
70 support our Government" but they SUBJ
nit that. whereas, farming involves the
hardest labor, exposure to weather condi-
tions, sunshine and rain, and the greatest
OF sacrihces in muscle and brawn," there.
fore II would be better for the Government
10 raise revenue by taxing inheritances. the
contention being that every dollar earned
py inc farmer is earned by the sweat Of his
nrow, whereas inheritances' represent
neither dollars nor cents, labor nor invest
ment"
80 that every man seems to have his AK
10 grind on this war-tax question. And
the tax to be raised. remember, is only
" ooo'ooO'ooO, approximately, whereas the
loahs IN existence and contemplated, II
levied as taxes. will amount to eight times
as much. In this connection il NAV he
stated that the general stock of money in
the United States, according to the la or
circulation statement of the Treasury he
partment, was not quite $500 ,OOO, 900
j. HAMPTON MOORE