The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-11

spread as far as possible over the
whole community so as to cause each
individual to share in the sacrifices ac'
cording to his ability to pay and &C
cording to his share IN the Government
(2) Taxes on consumption, which are
necessarily borne by the community at
large, should be imposed AS far as pos.
sible on articles of quasi-luxury rather
than on those Of necessity.
(3) Excuses should be imposed as far
as possible upon commodities In the
hands of the final consumer rather
than upon the articles which serve pri-
marily as raw material for further
production.
a. Taxes upon business should be
imposed as far as possible upon net
earnings rather than upon gross re.
ceipts or capital invested.
l ~ Taxes upon income which will
necessarily be severe should be both
differentiated and graduated. That is,
there should be a distinction between
earned and unearned incomes and there
should be higher rate upon the larger
I incomes. 1t is essential, however, not
to make the income rate so excessive
as to lead to evasion. administrative
| difficulties, or to the more fundamental
objections which have been urged
! above.
Co. The excess profits which are due
l to the war constitute the most obvious
L nd n Il, Of 1IIr>
| ing war times. But the principle upon
! which these war-pro6t taxes are laid
must he equitable in theory and easily
calculable in practice.
l " The Proposed income Tax.
The additional income tax as passed
| by the House runs up to rate or 10
| per cent. This is sum unheard OF in
| the history of civilized society. 1t must
| be remembered that it was only after
| the first year of the war that Great
| Britain increased her income tax to the
maximum of "a per cent, and that
even now in the fourth year Of the war
| the income tax does not exceed 421a
per cent.
1t could easily be shown that tax
with rates on moderate incomes SUBJ
stanhally less than in Great Britain,
and on the larger incomes about as
high, would yield only slightly less than
the S532. 100000 originally estimated in
the House bill.
1t is to be hoped that the Senate will
reduce the total rate on the highest in
comes to "a per cent. or at most to 40
per cent. and that at the same time it
will reduce the rate on the smaller M
comes derived from personal or profes.
siOnal earnings.
II the war continues we shall have to
depend more and more upon the in
come tax. BY imposing excessive rates
now we are not only endangsrins the
future, but are inviting all manner of
difficulties which even Great Britain
has been able to escape.
Conclusion.
The House bill contains other funda-
mental defects which may be summed
up as follows:
"a 1t pursues an erroneous principle
in imposing retroactive taxes.
(2) 1t selects an unjust and unwork
able criterion for the excess-profits tax.
81 1t proceeds to an unheard-of
height in the income tax.
az 1t imposes unwarranted burdens
upon the consumption of the commu-
nifty.
% 1t is calculated to throw business
into confusion by levying taxes on gross
receipts instead of upon commodities
Co i fails to make a proper use Of
stamp taxes.
ca 1t follows an unscientifc system
in its fat rate on imports.
(S) 1t includes multiplicity of pet
~ and unlucrative taxes. the vexatious-
ness of which is out of all proportion to
the revenue they produce.
The fundamental lines on which the
House bin should be modified are sum-
med up herewith
Q The amount Of new taxation
should be limited to $3.50, 0OO,000-or
Mt the outset to $1,500.000,000. To do
more than this would be as unwise as
1t is unnecessary. To do even this
would be to do more than has ever
been done by any civilized Govern
ment in time OF stress.
e. The excess-pro6ts tax based upon
a sound system ought to yield about
S5OOOOOOO0.
g. The income-fax schedule ought to
be revised with lowering Of the rates
on earned incomes below $4,000. and
with an analogous lowering of the
rates on the higher incomes, so as not
to exceed 81 per cent A careful cal
culation shows that an income tax of
this kind would yield some $3.50, 000-
900 additional.
a. The tax on whisky and tobacco
ought to remain approximately as 1t is.
with yield of about $230,000,OO0.
These three taxes, together with the
stamp tax at even the low rate Of the
House bill, and with an improved au-
tomobile tax, will yield over 81 ,250.-
100000, which is the amount of money
thought desirable.
The above program would be in har-
mony with an approved scientific sys-
TEN. 1t will do away with almost all |
Of tha omnIn into fbot ro ba;po rrrnd