Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-08-22

I
now or in December"
wealth Must Pay
Replying to the speech OF Senator
LaFollette, delivered yesterday, he in
dieated that wealth, as represented in
war profits, must soon answer the roll
call for eonseription as has the man
hood of America for service on the
fighting line.
Of the method of carrying out such
taxation, however, he said:
ave must protect our business and
our credit, for the credit of the Unit
ed States is the great pillar of the war.
Imperil your credit and you impcril
the victory of the allies.
"And if we don I win, if at the end
we find ourselves just where we were
in the summer of 1914, we will have to
spend countless billions more preparing
for the next war, which distinguish
ed German general has just announced
must be prepared for.
t'No peace without complete vic
tory for America and her allies is pos
sible. Any other end to this war would
leave the world an impossible place to
live in.''
Take All War Profits
Take all war profits before taxing
the people a penny, urged Senator
Townsend of Michigan, another mem
Der of the finance committee who did
not sign the majority report.
eff this war depends on war prof
it's said Townsend, "I'd abolish war
profits, wipe them out entirely, before
l d allow one cent more to be added
to the people s burdens.
'tThis is not popular war, 1t is a
necessary war. | know it is dangerous
to say it is unpopular but the public
attitude toward it is such that we can
not take chance OF irritating the peo-
pie through taxation when their pa
triotism is not at high pitch.
7 "Therefore, IN against the irritat-
ing proposals of this bill to increase
mail rates and to tax railroad tickets,
tea, coffee and sugar.
81 also am against huge bond issues.
Give us few bonds and much taxation,
but the burden of the taxes mostly on
war profits. F."
"How much would You raise by tax
ation?" Senator Borah of Idaho, asked
"I'd like to see three billion dollars
raised by the present bill,' replied
Townsend "I'd get all this from in
tOIneS, WAL pIOllib anu liHuOiS viva
perhaps a tax on automobiles and
and similar luxuries. "
Senator Gerry, Rhode Island, briefly
advocated his amendment to the in
come tax provision by which 81 per
cent of every income over $l,OOO,O00
would be taken.
Would Cost Gerry Se7O,oOO
Lewis, Illinois, supported Gerry s |
and lauded Gerry, who, a
himself, must pay two
thirds of his income to the government
f his amendment is adopted.
81 like to contrast the conduct of
this representative of the country with
some of those who while crying aloud
for war, were at the same moment
their government, said Lew
is.
"There has been tremendous
of ingenious lying about in
comes to the members of the senate fl
nance committee Senators- have been
by men who, on Sunday,
have marched down the aisle holding
the collection plate and very next day
have come here, and justified a course
which in any other forum would be
called perjury and subjected to the pen
alties for that crime"
Senator Smoot, Utah, opposing the
Gerry plan said the sixty seven per
cent rate is absurdly high. i"
elm Great Britain, y said Smoot,
6 the highest rate on incomes is forty
two per cent.
''There are not any incomes in Great
Britain such as we have here" said
Senator Borah, "if they had they
would probably take bigger share OF
them"
Senator Kenyon said he would offer
an amendment to conscript all incomes
of 100000 or over. He sought to raise
the rates in the Gerry amendment to
take ninety per cent of all incomes over
81 100000.
Senator Smoot pointed out that be-
cause of existing income taxes, the adj
dition of ninety per cent rate would
take more than 100 per cent of incomes
over $1,000,0 900. Kenyon then withdrew
the amendment.
"Let the amendment stand, said
Senator Penrose, Gas a monument TO
an attempt to confiscate more than the
total of "a mans income.
Senator LaFollette, who has already
offered two amendments to increase
the income tax rate announced that he
had three more