Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-23
WASHINGTON,

WASHINGTON. May Fisherman
adequately described war. but he for
got to say anything about paying for
1t. Every morning the Ways and Means
committee receives large mall ba x
full or rcmonstranccs, showing that
war taxes are also-painful.
we are in entire sympathy with the
preparedness program" writes a large
moving picture corporation. but why
tax the film-thc poor mans one great
means OF entertainments" "The rest
or the bill is all right" declared the
nations soap makers in unison. but
soap Is Il sanitary necessity that should
be kept within reach Of the poor" For
heavens sake. don't make gasoline any
higher. telegraphs a distressed Mid
die Westerner. who was evidently Ia :
boring under the impression that a tax
on gasoline was included in the bill.
From the poor man himself-sutl
denly become the conscientious rcspon-
sioility Of all large manufacturers
no protest has been heard. although :
per cent or the taxes included in the
Dill directly affect him. This fact has
naturally created IL great deal Of com
ment In Congress. which has tried to
account for it, One Representative
suggests that ii iS because the poor
man is TOO busy earning :, living to
pay much attention to congressional
legislation. and another suggests that
lie is too patriotic. but another reason
given by Philadelphia laborinE man
doubtless is nearer TO the truth: oh.
what's the use Of kickn': he asked;
we've got TO pay 1t, anyway
statement which leaves no room
for argument. a modern war is ex-
penstve. and we have got to expect
taxes of every kind. Our last greatest
war-the Civil War-cost the nation
only *6.l9o.ooo.ooo; now, for the first
year OF this war nearly nine billion
dollars will be needed. OF this. nearly
Two billion must be raised by tax
atom and s7.ooo.ooo.ooo by bonds.
II costs great deal every yoar to
run the machinery of the United States
government. With the exception OF
the United states Patent Office. no bu-
rcau OF the government is self-sup-
porting. This year the amount re
CURED to cover current expenses is
estimated At Sl.570.0oo0oO a billion
dollars is a tremendous sum OF money.
If YOU were paid dollar minute
for working night and day for every
day during the week. including Sunday.
II would take you 1000 years to ac-
cumulate 3l.ooo.0oo.ooo. Yet one year
OF war will cost this nation $4,000. 600. :.
600.
Pay-as-You-Go Ad>taahle.
The United States now owes a debt
OF s9i 100000. left over from the Span
ish- american War. while the aggrc-
gate bonded indebtedness OF our states.
counties and municipalities is nearly
four billion dollars. Add to This the
new seven billion dollar bond issue.
and YOU have total national debt OF
nearly twelve billion dollars. Con-
gress has decided that II is fair 10
make the present generation pay it's
share OF the expenses.
Hence, the war revenue bill provides
for the collection OF nearly $1,000. 900
900 in taxes on what Congress consid-
crs are luXurics. These include in
comes over $1,000 in tho case OF sim
gle persons. and over $1,000 in the case
OF married persons; excess profits Of
partnerships and corporations above
$1,000: beverages; cigars. tobacco and
manufacturers thereof; public utilities.
advertising and insurance; manufac-
lures including automobiles. trucks.
motorcycles tires, musical Instruments.
piano players, graphophones. records.
jewelry. pleasure boats. sporting goods.
games, perfumcry. cosmetics proprie-
tary medicines. chewing gum; telc-
grams and letters: promissory notes
and estates.
The trainers OF the bill admit that
there are some items in IL which arc
not particularly dcsira bic. or even
equable but IL is the best that can be
done on short notice. The Secretary
OF tho Treasury reported 10 the Com
mittee on Ways and Means OF the
House OF Representatives the approxi-
mate amount of money needed TO carry
out the preparedness program planned
by the government. and II was up TO
the committee to raise the money The
question was: how? The committee
had the Legislative Bureau OF the Lii
brary OF Congress gather together all
the information concerning the war
revenues Of other nations. and. with