The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-09-13
A Simple, Fair and
Effective Method of Raising
Money to Pay For War


feathers about finding the money TO pay
for the war, when in few weeks after
war was declared we created the machin-
erv by which we made available all the
fighting men that Uncle Sam can use for
long time to come?
We got the men all right and got them
quickly, but congress has spent more
time devising ways and means to get TIE
dollars than on all the other war meas
ures combined.
What is the matter?
Ask yourself this one question-'Ho"
did we go about the job Of getting the
men for the army" and the answer 70
the dollar question may hit YOU 10 1he
face.
In the CONSUMPTION Of men for Uncle
Sans armies we took two distinct teps
First. we REGISTERED all men oi
military age in order to find Out ho"
many were available.
Then after we knew just exactly how
many were available, we proceeded oy
the fairest means that we could devise
to DRAFT into the service Of the United
States the number needed at the present
time for war purposes.
WHY NOT DO EXACTLY TIE
SAME THING WITH DOLLARS?
Why not register the dollars that
should be available for paying the cost
of the war in just the same way that we
registered the men that ought 70 do the
fighting, and then by the fairest plan
that can be devised draft into the ser
vice of the United States by taxation
Just exactly the number of dollars that
are needed for war purposes?
Did you know that every item Of tax
alton in every revenue bill is based on
the widest kind Of guessing? Il IS
the amazing truth.
Neither congress nor the treasury de-
partment knows within millions Of dol
lars how many dollars any particular tax
is going to yield.
They simply guess, allow a big mar
gin of safety, and trust in the Lord.
Suppose we tried TO raise an army in
the same way. Wouldn't there be fine
mess?
THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE AND
Scientific CONSCRIPTION Is
REGISTRATION OF MEN, AND THE
KEY TO EFFECTIVE AND SCIEN-
TIFIC TAXATION Is THE REGISTRA-
TON OF INCOMES.
We know that every dollar of taxes is
finally paid out of somebody's incomes.
War profits taxes are simply taxes on
incomes that have not been distributed;
taxes on tobacco, liquors, sugar, coffee,
and tea are paid out of the consumers
incomes; tariff duties, stamp taxes, and
all the hundred and one foxy schemes
of indirect taxation that have been de-
vised to fool the taxpayer in reality take
their bit out of incomes just as surely
as the direct income tax.
Then why take ten bites at cherry?
Why go to the nerve-rackng trouble
of filing out ten tax declarations, when
one will do7
Why use a tax system that requires
the high-priced services of lawyers and
accountants to solve its intricate com
plexities when the whole thing can be
made simple by the substitution Of just
one tax on incomes?
WHY SHOULDN'T WE HAVE AN
INCOME REGISTRATION DAY JUST
AS WE HAD A MILITARY REGIS
TRATION DAY ON WHICH EVERY
AMERICAN WOULD BIZ OBLIGED
UNDER HEAVY PENALTIES TO De
CLARE THE AMOUNT or HIS N
COME WITH AS HEAVY PENALTIES
FOR FRAUD AND EVASION AS THE
CONSCRIPT1ON ACT CONTAINED
AND JUST AS DRASTIeAttY EN-
FORCED?
Uncle Sam would then know exactly
how many dollars could be drawn on by
taxation this year to help pay the war
cost. and it would be the simplest mat
ter in the world with all this exact in
formation in hand to figure out what the
income tax rates on each particular class
of incomes would have TO be 20 produce