The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-08-25
CONSUMPTION OF
WEALTH |SURCED
'BYLA Toilette
In Minority Report of Finance
Committee to Pay for
the War.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23.-Conscrip-
ton Of wealth to pay for the war was
urged in the senate Tuesday by Senator
La Toilette of Wisconsin, in present
ing the minority plans of the finance
committee for higher rates in the war
tax bill on war profits and incomes He
suggested increasing the ,006,000, 900
bill to more than $3,50O.U00,c0 by
such increases with elimination of con-
sumption taxes. He also urged that
less bonds and more taxes be author
lied.
The Wisconsin senator declared gov
ernments were demanding war while
their peoples were asking for peace
and contended that IS per cent of the
men drafted are protesting. Large
bond issues desired by wealthy inter-
ests, he commended, initiate prices and
increase the present high cost of living
which he asserted already imposes a
the masses. The Liberty Loan, he said
was made possible by an Iron hand
within kid glove" and persistent ad-
vertising methods.
Urges Higher Surtaxes.
The pending bill, Mr.. La Toilette
stated, provides by taxes but II per
cent of this years war expenses while
Great Britain imposes rs per cent
Next years war expenses, he predicted,
may reach $30,0OO,OOO,0O0o or $4,000
100000 and he urged that huge war
profits and incomes of wealthy persons
by higher surtaxes be made to bear
the burden Of the war;
Urging a larger proportion of taxes,
the Wisconsin senator said:
1t is part Of the history Of all
great wars that wealth has dema nded
the minimum Of taxation and the max
imum of loans, while the poorer classes
have desired the ma ximum of taxation
and the minimum of loans and this diff
ference is accentuated now since war
profits and excessive incomes are being
forced by taxation to contribute some
portion. of the revenues which war
makes 1t necessary to raise.
Wealth Has Never Sacrificed.
Wealth has never yet sacrificed it.
shown itself eager to take ADVANTAGE
Of the misfortunes which war always
That has been true Of every war we
have had and it is certainly true of
the present war.
1t may. be argued that the poor
equally with the rich will have the op
portunity to purchase war bonds. 1t
is small comfort to have the opportu-
nifty to purchase bonds if you have
little or no money, to invest in bonds.
ample Of bonds sold to the poor or
those of limited means All the ma
chlnery of the government was set in
motion to sell these bonds to the small
investor.
Ask Why They Should Give All.
:, Too many. people for the comfort of
the ruling classes in the warning coun-
tries Of Europe are asking today why
tney sh4u1d give their all to the gov
ceived SO little. while the favored
classes pass through the furnace Of
war unscathed.
,vb # the billions Of our PEOPLES money
into the furnace of the European war
were all we had to consider the ques-
ton would not be SO serious. But if
this war should last another year or
the financial resources of this country.
Remember that We have not vet burned
up a single dollars worth Of powder;
s We nave I'VE not not yet exploded a: single
coed the annual income of the averare
man. It is not improbable that tRe
entire income Of all the people Of the
c @;11 ry+ estimated ai ed at sssoooooo 900
second year of this war. We must face
these facts and realize the true situa-
ton of our financial policy by an ade-
auate and just system of taxation at
the beginning.
Masses Being Mortgaged.
BY keeping down taxes and increas-
ing bonds Senator La Toilette said the
masses are being "mortgaged to the
money lenders"
Loans TO the allies, the senator said,
may and may not be repaid, certainly
not for many years after the war.
Russia, he said, is in the throes of a
revolution and Italy, if reports are
correct, is on the eve of one"
'Even England and France" he
added, Twill be in no position to repay
loans for a long time and if this war
should last for several years what po-
itical ira nsformations may occur in
any country in Europe no one can fore
tell"
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