Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-07-07

EVENTS OF A WEEK
The senate finance committee has reported TO the
senate its final draft of the war revenue bill. The pro-
visions of the house bill have in many cases been ignor-
ed, and the bill which is now before the senate awaiting
action is practically a new bill. According to the pro-
visions of the bill, of the s1,670,oo0,o 600 which is to be
raised the sum of 1871, 900, 600 is to be raised from
taxes on incomes, excess profits, liquor and tobacco. The
two chief items are incomes and excess profits, the taxes
on each of which are expected to realize a little over
half a billion dollars. Income tax exemptions are re
duced to $1,000 for single men and $4,000 for married
men, liquor taxes Of all kinds are expected to yield a
little over $5o,ooo,o0o and tobacco taxes about a like
sum. The remaining % per cent of the total amount is
to be raised by means of general taxation, and levies of
almost every sort are provided for.
There has been a great deal of talk about the "con-
scription' of wealth as the proper means Of raising the
necessary war revenues. The discussion on this subject
has proceeded on two false assumptions. first that under
the conscription Of men for the army only the sons Of
the poor were to be drafted: second. that the wealthy
were to be required to bear no greater share of the cost
of the war than the poor. The first assumption is utter
1y, deliberately and maliciously false. In the drafting of
men for the army, men of wealth and their sons will
stand on exactly the same footing with men without
property, a fact very well known to the men who are de-
lberately lying about the situation. In the matter Of
taxation 1t has always been the purpose of the govern
ment, and that purpose is now being carried into effect,
to require wealthy men to pay, not merely a greater ag-
gregate sum into the treasury than is paid by relatively
poor men, not merely as great a proportionate sum in its
relation to their property holdings. but a very much larg-
er proporttonate SUM. Among the men who are shaping
the legislation there has never at any time been a ques-
ton as to the principle involved. The only discussion
has been as to the best way to apply that principle. As
the bill now stands the farmer. the laborer. the man of
modest circumstances generally pays nothing under the
head Of taxes on excess profits. That 1s a tax levied ex-
cusfvely on those who, because Of the character of their
business are making more than ordinary profits because
OF the war. They must turn over a considerable share
Of those profits to the government. The man Of small
means pays no income tax. The man of moderate
wealth pays something. The rich man pays a great deal
The whole bill is framed so as to bear more heavily on
the rich man than on the poor man. The thing that the
government does not undertake to do, and what most
emphatically it should not do, is to set apart a particular
class Of people and exempt them from taxation, and get
apart another class and take all their property away
from them.
The federal authorities are perfecting their arrange
nents for the draft, and drawings are expected to take
place very soon, although the exact date has not yet been
announced. The drawing will be done in Washington
and the persons in charge will draw by lot numbers in
stead of names, and they will have no means of knowing
to whom these numbers apply. In order to provide fol-
exemptions 1t is expected that to net the required coo, ooo
eHgibles there will be drawn about two million numbers
III The government has authorized the publication OF
the trip Of the American expedition across the Atlantic
The expedition was handled with great skill. In spite Of
the fact that the squadrons were logged and attacked
by German submarines there was no loss of a single mar
or animal, a ship, nor any other piece of property. The
Americans have set a record for moving such a large
hody Of men with their equipment in short time and
without loss. The loss of one Of the attacking subma.
rines is reported
Since their arrival the American soldiers have beer
admired and feted by the French people, and everywhere
the appreciation of the promptness Of the United State.
in getting a considerable body Of men near the front ha.
been expressed. July 4, was a gala doy in the French
port where our men landed. It is expected that within
two weeks or SO our troops will be in camp where the.
can hear the roar Of the big guns. j.
With the exception of the Russian offensive, which
continues. the week has passed without any major op
Grafton on any front There are persistent rumors tina
the British are preparing for another grand onslaught
presumably in the Arras district. Lens is as good a
taken, and with that city goes the control Of one Of tn
greatest mineral districts on the continent. While Their
has been fierce fighting along the line held by the French
It has been local in character. The Germans have dom
as they have done before. making tremendous efforts L
stay the enemys advance, but beyond the capture Of
few yards Of trench here and there. which often had t
be relinquished, they have made no gains.
The evidences Of Russian rehabilitation continue t
be the surprise of the day. The splendid achievement O
the Russian army. which a few weeks ago appeared t
be in the last stages of dissolution. is certain to have al
Important effect on Russian sentiment toward the ney
government, and to inspire with fresh courage and de
termination the men in all the Russian armies.
Greece is preparing to enter the war on the side 8
the Allies. That is the universal Interpretation Mace
on the political and military changes which have racant
~ taken place in that country. In the meantime. CEN
era1 sarrails advance through Macedonia has nee,
halted. presumably until the Grecian situation work
itself out.
There has been q falling on In the SINGING Of ship
{ by submarines which Al one OF those fluctuations 10
which IT is not always easy to assign a reason. It II ID
vond Question. however. that the arrning Of naerchan
81 vessels has had q great deal to do With the change. 1a
records show . constantly increasing nuraber III ship
s& listed AZ having been attacked and having ESCAPED. Taa
A the natural result OF the steps taken to provide saafet,
-
China q II the throes Of what may deveiop fnso
&sssless esAiis var n usbsch may psod1os nofhfn