The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-08-21
RECOMMENDS
That RICH BE
TAXED FOR WAR
La Toilette Predicts Next
Years War Expense :
At $4,000, ,000, 900
SAYS DRAFTED MEN
ARE PROTESTING
Complain They Give Their
All, While Rich Class -
Is Unscathed
(By Associated Press.)


Washington, Angg. 21.-Conscrip-
tion of wealth to pay for the war
was urged in the senate today by
Senator La Toilette Of Wisconsin in
presenting the minority plans of the
finance committee for higher rates
in the war tax bill on profits and in
comes. He suggested increasing the
81, ,006, 900, 900 bill to the $4,000, ,000, 900
by such increases with elimination
of conscription taxes. He also urged
that less bonds and more taxes be
Authorized.
The Wisconsin senator declared
governments were demanding war
while their peoples were asking for
peace and contended that IS per
cent of the men drafted are protest
ing. The Liberty Loan he said. was
made possible by an iron hand"
within Kid gloves and persistent
advertising methods.
Rich Should Bear Burden.
The pending bill, he stated. pro-
vides by taxes but II per cent, Of
this years war expenses while Great
Britain composes 26 per cent. Next
years war expenses, he predicted,
may reach $4,000, 900, 900 or 100000
000. 900 and he urged huge war profits
and incomes of wealthy persons by
burden of the war.
TOO many people for the comfort
Of the ruling classes in the warning
countries of Europe are asking today
why they should give their all to the
government from which they have
received so little while the favored
classes pass through the furnace of
war unscathed," said the Wisconsin
senator.
Money Not Most Important.
IF the billions of our peoples
money which we are now smilingly
pouring into the furnace of the Eu-
ropean war were all we had to con-
slider the question would not be so
serious" he said.
But If this war should last anoth-
or year or two years think what 1t
will mean to the financial resources
of this country. Remember that VIC
have not yet burned up a single dol
lars worth of powder. We have not
yet exploded a single shell, the cost
Of some Of which exceed the annual
income of the average man."
by keeping down taxes and in
creasing bonds, Senator La Toilette
said the masses are being mort
gagged to the money lenders"
Loans to the allies, the senator
u,
certainly not for many years after
the war. Russia, he said, is in the
thrces Of a. revolution and Italy If
reports are true Is on the eve of
one.
Draft "SwoIIen" Fortunes.
In advocating greater federal
levies on war profits and million
aires incomes Senator johnson said
American youth had been conscript-
ed and that swollen fortunes coin
ed from the blood of the nation"
should be drafted. He recommended
that the government take 80 per
cent of war profits--as Great Brit
ain does and half Of millionaires'
incomes.
Senator Hills, supporting the La
Toilette Gore Thomas minority re-
port of the finance committee for
higher rates on incomes and profits
also advocated taking 80 to 80 per
cent of war profits but expressed
the opinion that the senate could
cent. The present bill is designed
to assess about 26 per cent.
Senator La Toilette introduced two
to the income tax sec
ton on behalf of the minority. One
an income from surtaxes
on incomes between $4,000 and $47,-
500 and a maximum OF 33 per cent on
all over $47,500. An alternative
would have the princi-
pal surtaxes apply to incomes Of
from $4,000 to $17,500 with a maxi
mum of 33 per cent on those over
the latter figure.
Senator New of Indiana also in
troduced an amendment providing
that in the computation of normal
profits in industries which expert
enced normal depression during 1911,
1912 and 1913, the pre-war period
fixed by the bill could select any of
the four years from 1909 to 1913 as
the basis of fixing normal profits.