Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-02-15
CONGRESSMAN GREEN
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT
Opposed to Democratic Revenue Bill
and Makes Telling Speech i'm
Congress Setting Forth
His Views

Unfair and unjust discrimination
was charged against the administra-
ton revenue bill during the debate
of the measure on the floor of the
house by Congressman Green, of the
Ninth Iowa district, asserting that the
bill discriminates against partner
ship in favor of individuals and
against going concerns that are COM
PEELED to borrow money to run their
business. Congressman Green said
the measure taxes a man because he
is poor and exempts those who are
rich.
He said the sole owner of bust
ness is relieved form taxation, while
the firm across the street is assessed
because 1t is a partnership. The
same objection was raised against the
bill which mulets a corporation run
ming a bank, while the private or in
dividual banker using the same cap
ital and reaping the same profits is
permitted to go scott free.
Congressman Green said:
THE bill discriminates unfairly and
unjustly not only between those who
must pay the tax and those who are
exempt, but also between those who
come under it's provisions. No mat
ter what profit an individual may
make, If he is the sole owner of the
business he is exempt from the tax
while the struggling partnership
none of the members of which have
sufficient funds to start a business
for themselves, must pay the tax. In
other words, a man is often taxed un-
der the bill because he is poor, and
not taxed because he is rich. Under
the bill profits of one concern will
be taxed while that of another just
across the street, doing exactly the
same business and making the same
amount of profit will pay nothing.
"The bill discriminates also be-
tween partnership. A law firm may
make 100000 and pay no taxes un-
der 1t because its profits result solely
from personal service, while COM
mercial partnership making $4,000
largely but not entirely as a result
of the personal services of the part
ners, must pay the tax. A corpora
ton running a bank, having a capital
of $4,000 and making SIS, 900 year
will be very heavily taxed, while the
private and individual banker oper-
ating in competition, using the same
capital and making the same profits
will pay nothing. Firms that are in
debt will have to pay slightly more
than those who do not need to bor-
row any capital with which to run
their business.
mo partnership for agricultural
purpose will pay anything even if it
carries on several hundred thousand
acres of land as some of them do i'm
California. nor will it il 1t owns cat
tie to the amount of $1,000,000 as
some of the partnerships engaged in
cattle raising in the west. The bill
always and everything, works un-
fairly and unjustly.
while even the nations at war in
Europe engaged in a life and death
struggle are devoting their time to the
war for trade that will inevitably fol-
low when actual war fare ceases, this
bill makes no preparation against the
attempt which will be made to seize
our markets when peace is declared
1t leaves wide open the gateway of
our ports and we will again be food
ed with foreign goods as we were I'M
der the Underwood bill before the
war. A reasonable protective tariff
would bring millions of revenue at
the expense of the foreigner. protect
our markets and enable us to retain
our prosperity"