Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-10-02

IL you cut all of the war profits out
4 which in my Judgment will never be
done, you would certainly get no wal
profit taxes and no one would be huri
no far as the revenue bill Is concerned
by having made the fight to tax wa,
profits.
Il venture to say that without O
price fixing law and a war profits law
the machinery will be wholly irsuffi.
Gent for doing Justice In this situa-
ton. The same forces which are for
taxing war profits, were for fixing
prices and the same forces which were
against taxing war profits were
against fixing prices and will be In
my judgment until the end, notwith-
standing anything they may say al
this time The only surprise to me is
that candid and patriotic men should
De misled or deludcd by such intel
iectual 1ugglery In the face Of the
record which has. been made In con-
gress In the last six months.
MERELY TAXING BLOOD MONEY
Now, what is this contention with
reference to taxing war profits? Do
not forget that 1t is TO tax war profits.
not peace profits, not normal profits,
not the capital invested In business.
but that class of profits distinctly
growing out of the war 1T is THE
EFFORT TO TAX THOSE PROFITS
WHICH WOULD NOT EXIST, AND
WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE.
EXCEPT FOR THIS FEARFUL AND
HELLlSH WAR. 1t is money made
because men are now fighting and
dying and money which never would
have been made had not the peace
OF the world been broken.
For illustration, in 1913, in n time
OF peace, the DUPONT Powder com
pany enjoyed profits to the extent Of
five million dollars in round numbers.
Now. you will remember that the Du-
Pont Powder company at this time
was being proceeded against as mon
opoly and for charging .extortionate
prices. SO ! take II was doing fairly
well upon its five million profits in
time of peace Yet in 1916 the profits
of this company amounted to 2,1O7,-
6s3 In other words there were about
$77000,0 600 OF war profits.
THE Hercules Powder company en-
joyed profits in 1913 TO the extent of
H,117212.0o. It's profits in 1916 were
$16,6bS,8730o About 5000, 900 of war
profits
The Armour Packing company en-
joyed profits in 1913 to the amount Of
$6,028l97O0 It's profits in 1915 were
o,lOO, 10000; In addition to this IL rs
sued stock dividend of $4,000 900.
IL Is fair to say that undoubtedly a
portion of this eighty million Of stock
dividend had been earned in previous
years.
Il use these illustrations, but there
are many others which might be call
ed into service
HIS FIGURES CORRECT.
When / referred to the Armour
Packing company's profits in Boise
a few nights ago a leading business
man said / must be mistaken. But 4
am not mistaken. l have verified these
figures they were figures given over
the signature OF Mr.. Armour, the
president of the company. Ali Of
these figures which / have given YOU
are correct
Now what is 1t that we propose,
We propose to leave these com
panies their invested capital I'M
taxed, their peace profits untaxed
and 20 per cent of their war
profits added to their peace prof
its. In addition to this 1t should
be borne In mind that these prof
Its Of 1915 and 1915 were untaxed;
they have them and now enjoy
them.
NOW what does the bill that passed
the senate do? 1t takes an average
of Bin per cent of these war profits. |
/ submit the plain proposition IN view
of the high cost Of living, in view of
the exigency of the nation, In view of
the fact that these sums must be
made up, IL not out Of war profits
then out OF taxes upon the necessnries |
Of life-IS 1T JUST. IS IT FAIR. is
1T PATRIOTISM, OR IT is SIMPLY |
CONSCIENeELESS GREED running
riot in this dire exigency of the ma
ton.
IF WAR, THEN MONEY.
when you go into an American
home you take the boy who is TT. who
Is capable and able. The government |
says to him we are In peril, our rights
have been trampled under foot. our
people have been murdered, our lib
critics are challenged, and because you
have ability 70 serve. the republic calls
you to the service
We should apply no other rule to
these powerful institutions than that
you apply to the American boy. We
should say to them. our nation Is in
peril, all we have and all we love as
4 people are at stake; you have the
ability, you have the means and the
republic calls upon you because you
have the ability.
I'VE cannot fight this war without
money. Our soldiers viii be sacrificed
N vain and ultimately we will lose
money and a vast amount of
t. THEREFORE,. YOU WHO HAVE
MAGNIBTCENTLY IN
This WAR SHALL BRING THAT
WHICH YOU HAVE, YOU'LL
AND PLACE TT UPON
rHE SAME COMMON ALTAR
WHERE ARE TO BE OFFERED UP
THE AMERICAN BOY.
1T Is not assailment of business. 1t
y not an attack upon wealth. 1t is the
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