Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-01

altho they were called out by the state
two weeks before the call of the nA-
tional government, We believe. The
Cedar Rapids boys were taken care Of
BY their friends. but there were out
siders who were almost barefooted,
and did not have sufficient undercloth-
ing. Had 1t not been for the Battery
E auxiliary. organized in Cedar Rap
ids. many of the company would have
been in actual want. And during this
time Governor Harding had in his con-
troll a million dollar fund, appropriated
| by the last legislature for just such
an emergency. Governor Harding may
be just as right as his friend of the
Cedar Rapids Republican paints him
to be. but you can't make members Of
Battery e believe 1t.
r,e
FURNISHING THE PRESS.
| [Sioux City Journal.l 81
The strange indsposition of the
United States senate to dispose of the
proposals for higher war taxes and
higher postage rates as these things
will affect the newspapers Of the
country hardly seems to indicate 4
| willingness TO deal with the question
courageously and on its merits. The
amount that would be raised under the
most drastic Of the mulcting schemes
could not be OF great consequence 10
| the government The time that Is be-
| ing consumed in discussing fruitless
suggestions is decidedly more impor-
| tant. The apparent disinterest of a
ma jority Of the senators and the heat
with which other senator's have en-
tered into the controversy gives ground
at least for the suspicion that not y
desire for a fair settlement but rather
an inclination to even up" for news
paper hostility Is at the basis Of most
OF the demand for multiplied taxes.
l; ought to be obvious to anyone
who has had the hardhood to wade
thru the quantities Of senate talk
| that the fairest and most helpful atti-
tude so far shown in the senate s that
Of Senator Harding. Of Ohio. himself
| publisher. The senator declared THAI
| newspapers are quite willing to pay a
| reasonable amount to cover the cost
| OF their distribution. II ii Is con-
| Guided thes, under present conditions,
a reasonable amount implies an In
creased amount, the new postal rates
providing that increase should be de-
layed In their application so as to give
the publishers opportunity for the nee
| essary readjustment Of subscription
prices. But the senator, as a matter
Of ordinar. fairness, questions the wis
dom Of putting thru as war meas
ure modification OF postal rates
when such development ought OBJ
viously to follow scientific inveetiga-
ton by experts qualified for the task.
And as to the proposed additional
taxes on advertising rates, he had no
hesitancy IN calling that an outrage in
view Of the fact that the newspapers,
IL they are making money. are already
taxed the same az any other orgahiza-
don, and that the imposition Of an adj
ditional advertising tax would be moth
ing more nor less than double taxation
Of the same money.
So far AZ the demand for now tAxss
hitting the publishers Is founded on
reason. It appears to consist Of a re-
solve to get at the high profits OF a
very few daily papfrs-7a very few. in
deet-and at the Undoubtedly big in
comes Of some of the magazine COM
panies. That rS6oiye oertsinly can be
carried out, IL the senate wills II, with
out huCioeHtdHy pa0S1h8 ~ uuAoAA osA1
in some casss = ruinous burden upon
thousands 81 publications that, with
modest ,Arculations md = Advertising
prices. ARE already seriously enough
affeyted BY such war, factors az the In
c,eased cost Of gathering ths nova.
me newspapers are not unwilling to
put their relations tosthe, xoysgpNent
on business basis. But they are not
ready, except under compulsion. to
subject themselves to punishment in
the form OF taxation for having had
in the past the temerity to cr1ticise
certain members OF the upper house
OF tine United States congress. They
call attention in all sincerity to the
fact that such newspapers as are MAX
ing profits are already taxed on those
profits and will be affected the same
as other Industries by such changes in
corporation and income taxes as the
congress at this time may enact. They
invite consideration OF the fact that 1t
"a poor policy to invent new and du-
plicate ways of getting at the revenues
Of form Of enterprise that 10 none
too prosperous, especially when that
enterprise Is as essential to the cause
Of good government and public ad-
vancement as the American press.
The newspapers also suggest that any