The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-31
ENTIRELY TOO
GOOD TO WORK
Plan to Have Expenses Of Wal.
Paid for by Americas Rich
People Instead Of
Poor.
AND STOP SPECULATION
just imagine Dealers in Food Agree
Ing to Accept But Six Per
Cent Profit Even In
War Times.

limited Press Leased Wire Service.
NEW YORK, March 81. - The
strongest pacifist influence in Amer
lea today suddenly turned from ef
forts to prevent war. to means OF
financing it.
simultaneously 1t became known
that plan put forward by the Amer
lean committee on war finance, head
ed by Amos Pinchot, to place the en-
tire financial burden Of the war upon
persons with incomes Of more than
SIS 900 per year has been indorsed IN
high government circles.
\ The greatest Significance was
placed upon the sudden action OF
leading pacifists because Of the pc
lief that they were In close commune
cation with Washington leaders
While they Insisted that they still
hoped" for peace, their actions indi
Gated that the ''hope" is practically
dead.
The committee in its announcement
today pointed out that the, heavy
death toll OF war will be upon the
working people of the country be
cause OF their greater numbers
wish this In view, 1t calls for sig
natures to pledge to demand legis
lation for a special war income tax
on all incomes over $1,000. The
schedule calls for tax Of 2h Per
cent on all incomes from $4,000 to
$4,000 per year.
On all incomes over $4,000 a slid.
ing scale beginning at ten per cent
and rising to point that will permit
@o{y
net income of 100000 per year, is
proposed. The pledge further calls
for legislation limiting net profit on
all war supplies to 31a per cent and
provides that no wholesale or retail
dealer shall sell food stuffs or other
necessities at a profit greater than
six per cent during the war.
"we do not believe that any real
patriot wants the poor people OF the
nation to bear the burden Of the cost
of war, in addition to the burden OF
fighting" said Pinchot today. Our
committee is not made up of peace at
any price people and there Is no one
connected with the movement who
has any German sympathy. Our pro-
posal is simply predicated on the ma
tion's experience in past wars and is
based upon the belief that in the
event of war there should be gen
uine partnership in patriotism be-
tween the working people who will be
as ked to volunteer their lives and the
wealthy who will be called upon to
give their dollars.
The proposal may even furnish
more money than is needed to finance
the war. Any surplus logically could
be used as a sinking fund for PEN
sions.
"An idea of what such an, emerg-
ency law would do can be seen in the
case of the Dupont family, 2opularly
reported to have an annual income OF
$50, 900, 900. Taking out 100000 al
lowance TO-, each Of the ten or so
m embers of the family, would leave a
net return to the government of ap'
proximately $79,000.000 year.
Recently we have been asked to
sign a meaningless pledge of loyalty
to the country which was. in effect
an insult TO any real Americans pat
riotism. Here is a pledge that IS
something more than empty words. 1t
is practical patriotism"
Amos Pinchot has been the leader
of the strongest pacifist movements.
He and his associates have financed
most of the leading pacifist activity.