Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-05-03
CAPITAL" AND THE WAR.

The matter of financing the war is a problem that confronts the
national congress
Senator Kenyon of Iowa, in the senate at Washington a few days
since, offered a suggestion in line with that of Hon. John B. Ianten
of this city. the only difference being with reference to the minimum
amount Of an income a man may be permitted to retain for his own
use during the war.
II want to say that. . said the senator, while am voting for
conScription OF men, am going to vote later on for CONSUMPTION of
great incomes" He added that the government should appropriate
all Of an income above %$100O00O0.
tlLABORthe c~yyinkhtha zlette'mtha etaoin shrdlu etaoin etaoin eta
Let it be said at the outset that The Saturday News believes that
assaults upon capital, as such, are neither warranted nor wise. The
public welfare cannot thereby be subserved, either during war or at
any other time.
But upon capital itself we need waste no sympathy. 1t does
not stand to lose a farthing on account of war.
The man who lends the government money for war purposes is
mourning no hazard whatever, excepting the far-fetched one of pos
sible reputation. He is merely handing his cash, or the use of his
credit, to the government and taking in return therefor gntedged
bonds, with an assurance that his money will be restored to him
intact, with interest.
But the army recruits of today, and those that the government
will conscrpt during the ensuing two years, are financial losers,
besides assuming all other war risks.
These boys come largely from the ranks of labor in some form.
They are abandoning positions commanding salaries ranging from
two dollars a day up, many of them drawing wages amounting to
fifteen to twenty dollrs a week, and re getting in place thereof
fifteen dollars a month and board. In other words, in addition to
rSklng their lives, they are losing from forty to seventy-fve per
cent. of their wage.
Those enjoying great incomes would be making no greater
relative financial sacrifice in dividing with the government than are
the boys now making who are preparing to serve in the ranks of the
army.
Senator Kenyon is assuredly on the right track, although we
doubt whether his suggestion will be favorably acted upon. With
president Wilson's active support, a bill embodyng the principle
might be forced through congress, but unless the president becomes
sponsor for such a proposition we fear there is scant likelihood that
it will be seriously considered.
We don't know what the maximum allowance for private in
comes should be, but that there should be a limit seems so REASONABLY,
as to be beyond question in the minds of all excepting possibly those
drawing the incomes.
If the boys who are to do the actual fighting re LOSING half
their incomes, with no prospect for recuperating at the close Of the
war save by their respective individual efforts, those basking in the
sunshine of large incomes should be willing to concede the govern
2ment the right to take a considerable portion thereof for the purpose
of helping to win the war.
But whether they are willing or whether they are not. w stand
with Senator Kenyon in the demand that they be compelled to part
wan all u 1t IN excess OF a reasonable allowance.