Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-21
SENTIMENT GROWS
FOR TAXING WEALTH
Movement for Higher Rates on
War Profts-Large Income
Gets New Impetus.
STIMULATED BY JOHNSON
Simmons, Lodge and Penrose,
However, Unchanged in Sup
port of Committees Bill.

large incomes. A stirring speech by
Hiram Johnson. Of California. stimu-
lated the movement, which was al
ready under way
Those who coin the blood OF the
war are those best able to pay the
expense OF the war he cried. "rhos-
who make swollen profits out of this
particular exigency are those who
ought to pay. We were willing to
corscr:pt the youth OF the land for
this var. We must have the same in
e1orable attitude towards money we
had when we were dealing with men"
Hardly had Senator Johnson com
pleted his speech, when Senator La
Toilette, OF Wisconsin. let IT be known
that he would seek to amend the
s-.cooo0o.oo0 war revenue til'. which
formed tho whole subject of discus
sion. Together with Senators Gore. Of
Oklahoma. and Thomas. Of Colorado
h, already has submitted a minority
report. which advocates paying for the
war by taxing wealth and not by small
taxes upon the poor mans necessities
Senator King. OF Utah. a strong ad-
ministration Democrat. created sur
prise by preparing to introduce a bill
following the lines of the minority
Hampshire. another Democrat. an
nounced he would vote for the
minority report.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
STAND By PENDING BILL
But Senator Simmons. chairman OF
the Senate Finance Committee, and
Senator'S Lodge and Penrose. both Of
the committee. were unchanged in
hHt NJ
is predicted that there Will he many
Senators who will vote alone the line
OF the La Toilette amendments and
that the result will be close The
members of the Senate Finance Com
nittee will be able to line UP many
Democrats and Republicans behind
Them.
The Wisconsin Senator has his cam
pajgn carefully mapped He first Will
!, ofer amendments carrying the maxi
5 mum OF taxation against war profits
and income taxes. II these are re-
fused. he will offer amendments carry
ing slightly smaller rates. and so on
To-day he put in two amendments
TO the income tax. The first imposed
surtax scale Of / per cent on total
net incomes between $4,000 and $4,000.
up TO 35 per cent on incomes OF $4,000
aid upwards. This would raise $685.
$4,000 from income taxes. against the
S4l7.763.000 from that source in the
pending bill. Under the La Toilette
amendment. the total income tax would
raise s74l.6s3.000 against a total tax
OF s523.24i.o00 under the commit i,tce
amendment.
The second amendment which he
will urge II the first is rejected has
Va slightly different scale. and would
yield S505. .S2S.O00 from the minority
scheme. and total income tax Of
s6l1,3o3.000.
TAX TEA AND COFFEE
For BENEFIT OF STEEL
The wisdom and equity of the pcnd-
ing bill will be questioned by men and
women whose tea and coffee are
taxed" said Senator johnson, in his
speech. "We give to the United states
Steel Corporation first dividend on
its preferred stock. and then permit
1t to pay all expenses and all taxes
And then, In our time OF stress and
dire need, when every heart is bleed
Ing for the loved ones that go beyond
the seas, we give to this corporation a
dividend equal to more than has been
, paid inNupon its capital stock
How the people must love to scorn
q Congress that deals thus tenderly
with war profits. while dealing with
such severity with the common human
clay to be put up against the guns by
the Steel Corporation. to which is to be
returned under this bill nearly $780,
100000 Of war profit for this year.
Congress hands TO the Steel Cor
poration nearly $300,oo0.oo0 because,
forsooth. 1t has coined the blood and
bone and sinew OF the land into dol
lars that it has made. Can you justify
it? You can never Justify giving back
this huge sum at this time, when money
is so badly needed to carry on this
great strife.
With tremendous enthusiasm Con-
gress conscripted the youth of the
land" said the Californian. 81 ask
the same enthusiasm" he shouted in
his sharp. ringing tones. for conscript-
ing the wealth of the nation to-day
to stand behind our youth battling
across the sea-
SUMS NEEDED For wan BEYOND
FINANCIAL UNDERSTANDING;
He said the sums of the great war
staggered" him, that to talk of SEQ
000.000.000 expended by this country
before she ever entered actual par-
/. VI lpdtioH WdS ltlHn1lo ana WHOLLY
heyond" his financial understanding.
The sums we are now liable for,
and may be liable for year hence,
are so vast the mind halts," he con-
tinued. I'VE may spend $4,000, 0OO,-
600: may exceed any nation in expendi-
ture. The people are willing to bear
this. But they do ask that in impos-
ing this burden you place as much as
can be done on. those who make profits
from this war AS the British took
the largest share Of their expenditure
from these. so should we.
u England to-day takes 80 per cent
from war profits, we take less than 90
per cent In this bill.
when the draft was urged we were
told the tales Of the Princess Pats
and other nghtins men for England
1continued on Second Page.)