The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-05-21
Favors ooRseriptinE wealth and Lin
Hing Incnmea.

Favors ooRseriptInE Wealth and Linn
ItinE Incomes.
To the Editor of THE TINES:
In the various discussions which
have arisen in connection with the
wars in Europe. and also in our pres
emit war with Germany, the country
seems to have agreed. almost unani-
mously. upon two fundamental ideas:
Firss-That the rights OF property
Tor damage to same) are not, at any
time, to be cIassed as having any
bearing or effect upon the rights OF
humanity Tor danger to human life).
After the American public has gladly
seen our country enter into the war
to establish this very principle IL
surely is not necessary for q long
discussion to prove that the rights
and privileges of human life are
above and beyond any rights or priv
iIeges which may be considered as
accruing to property (or wealthy +.
Second-we have agreed that a per-
son who is a citizen OF a country and
enjoys its protection and advantages
is responsible for service to that
country in time OF need and may be
called upon to aid in any and every
way possible and. II necessary. to for
felt his life in defense of his land
and liberty.
These fundamental conceptions hav-
ing been agreed upon. how does IL
occur that, at the present moment in
Washington we find our legislators
reversing the order and placing the
rights of wealth above the lives OF
our citizens? We have. only recent.
~, been gratifed that Congress pass
ed the conscription bill, and we took
especial pleasure at the speed and
overwhelming majorities with which
the same carried. Now, having ar
ranged to pay whatever cost OF hu-
man life may be required to win the
war, now that II becomes necessary
to provide for the monetary cost, II
would seem, to the layman, that the
same Congress fears to follow the
same principle and conscript the
wealth OF the country. II this is not
so, why is II that we do not find in.
cIuded in their new taxation bills a
I limit to the individual income. or per.
centage of profit? Surely. there Is
no reason OF right or Justice which
will allow the wealthy to increase
their surplus at a time when the re-
sources OF every one OF the middle
and poorer classes have already been
strained to the utmost by the wanton
acts OF food spectators and others.
Wars. regardless OF the theoretical
! Justice Of the same, can never become
popular among ehe ordinary citizens
who are compelled to endure all the
| hardships of campaigning and 10
hazard their lives at the battle front
as long as, in addition to their per,
sonal misery, they have also the
knowledge that their wives and chill
dren are compelled TO suffer by rea
sen OF unnecessarily high prices, and
necessary taxes. while the wealthy
send few sons for service land those
| few as officers only) and also take
advantage OF war times to amass
larger fortunes even than usual.
There is but one tax which cannot
be passed along to the ultimate con
| sumner and that is a connscatory tax
limiting incomes to a certain sum and
profits to a certain percentage. There
ought to be no insurmountable diff
Guilty in fixing the limit in either case
and II this is done. in addition tC
preventing further gambling in the
necessities of life, II is very probable
that the taxes already outlined could
be borne by all OF our citizens, AND
the increase in the same from per
sons with incomes in excess OF what
Is necessary would be a considerable
bepefit in reducing, or perhaps elimi
mating, the amount OF debt to be car
rIed BY our future generations.
z. F. ROTH.
Allston, Mass, May 10, 1917.