New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-04-25
Financing The War

Financing The War
The plan for financing the war, adj
vocated by Amos Pinchot, and others
who before the declaration of
hostilities were opposed to the United
States entering the great conflict, is
now being urged by some of the very
men who would be hit the hardest.
Mr.. Pinchot would have the burden
fall upon those whose incomes are $5,-
600 year and over.
IF we have war;" he says, ''let's have
the country organized on basis that
will unite all classes. The only way to
do this is to place the financial burden
where it belongs. Our friends, the
miftarists, Roosevelt, Root, mitchell
and the others, tell the people every day
or two that the country has grown soft
thru excessive wealth. If they mean
this they will not hesitate to sign the
pledge Of The American Committee on
War Finance.
"Our plan is not to confscate wealth;
it is to make wealth available for actual
service in war. It will give every man
who enlists the feeling that he has the
backing of those who do not enlist. It
will do for war what, has never been
done before, that is make it just war
so far as the people within the country
are concerned. It will not hurt anyone
who has a surplus income to sacrifice
some OF his income
The Committee on War Finance points
out that the heavy toll of war will fall
upon the working classes of the country
because of their greater number. With
this in view the committee solicits sig
natures to a pledge to demand legisla-
ton for special war income tax on all
incomes Of over $4,000. The schedule
calls for a tax Of 2 -1-2 per cent on incomes
from $4,000 to $4,000 year.
On all incomes over $4,000 sliding
scale, beginning at 10 per cent and rising
to point that will permit no individual
to retain net income of more than $780,.
600 year, is proposed.
The pledge also calls for legislation
limiting net profits on all war supplies
to three and a half per cent and provides
that no wholesale or retail dealer shall
sell foodstuffs at greater profit than
per cent during the war.
Legislation on this basis, Mr.. Pinchot
says, would give the government an
annual tax Of $89,OOO,OOO from the
Du Pont family alone, and at the same
time allow the ten or eleven members
of that household net income of some
thing over million dollars This family
is mentioned as only one instance of
many.
I'VE do not believe that any real
patriot wants the poor people of this
nation to bear the burden of the cost
of war in addition to the burden Of fight
ing" said Mr.. Pinchot. "Our committee
is not made up of peace-at-any-pri
people, and there is no one connected
with the movement who has any German
sympathy Our proposal is simply pre-
dicted on the Nations experience in past
wars, and is based on the theory. that in
war there should be partnership be-
tween the workers who will be called
upon to risk their lives and the wealthy
who will be called upon to furnish the
finances of war.
Recently we have been asked to sign
meaningless pledge Of loyalty to the
country, which was in fact an insult to
any real Americans patriotism. Here is
a pledge that is something more than
empty words. tits practical patriotism. !"
With legislation such as is proposed
by the American Committee Of War
Finance it is probable that there would be
no war.