The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-23
Editorial Comment
on Current Subjects
NATIONAL ExTRAvAeANcE.

ma lISNAI GN nav fNSFNNSht H.
From the National Glass Budget.
"The Distribution Of Taxation" IS,
the subject OF an exhaustive ar,!cis
by George L. Walker, in the Augass
Al issue OF the Boston Commercial"
The writer takes the logical position
that every man should be required
to pay ais share, and thereby awasaa
national interest in a cu=.Siiment o.
governmental extravaganza. We GHO-
nit as follows the Introductory paI;,
agraphs:
Taxation OF incomes, PROFITS and
inheritances is being given q tyout
in this country and 1t may require
many years to demonstrate thorough
ly, and to the satisfaction OF the pub
lie, the perniciousness Of this method
OF raising government rtverUe.
"The ideas upon which this system
Of taxation is based are that those
best able to supply the money should
pay, that big incomes are an evil and
that profit making is robbery. All Of
these beliefs are foundationless. Most
Of tht men drawing big salaries are
worth more to their employers aud
to the public than they get, and pro.
FITS are necessary to Offset the losses
entailed by the multitude Of UnSus'
cesstul bushes undertakings and TO
provide capital for the expansion
the worlds productive and distr
tive capacity.
But the worst thing about thu
system is that the funds Of govern.
ment are supplied by valuable men
to be expended by cheap men. A ma
jority Of the members Of Congress
realize fully that the $500 year Jobs
they now hold are the best they ever
have held or ever are likely TO get.
Neither legislation nor appropriations
can be controlled by the high grade
minority Of the House and Senate.
Too many Of the members have tld'
den into Office on the support OF yot'
ers into whose minds they have been
able to SOW the seeds Of discomfort.
Having gained power by such methods
they naturally have used Legislation
to provide that the government be
conducted by men who pay practi.
cally none Of its expenses and who
therefore in no way are interested
in keeping the cost OF government
within reasonable bounds. From the
taxation Of incomes the next step
is to the destruction Of incomes.
What will come after?
"By dragging labor into politics and
creating the false issue Of class
against class, the individual incentive
of the worker. has been dUled and
his efficiency greatly reduced. He has
been led to believe that instead Of
free man, dependent upon his own
ability, initiative, thrift and industry,
he is slave, mere cog in Q great
machine.
1.-THE politicians who govern Us are
responsible chiefly for such teach.
ings. Therefore they must be blam.
ed, indirectly at least, for the re-
stricted volume Of production the de.
ficient transportation facilities and
the restless and antagonistic attitude
of labor which are making it so DIFF
ficult now for the nation to prosecute
the war.
"Antagonizing success has come to
the politicians stock in trade. II al.
most would seem that the more iglo.
rant a man is of practical affairs the
better he is equipped to become d
successful politician, as few men who
know how valuable business prosper.
ity AMI Industrial expansion are to
the community are dishonest and vi.
cious enough to raise their voices In
denunciation Of the men of enterprise
and capital who are planning, fna1'
cial and ding the worlds work.
High cost of government is more
by far than big business
profits for the high cost OF living.
The first hampers and discourages
the industrial activity which iS essen.
tial to large output and then It ab.
serbs altogether too big portion Of
the aggregate product. Big profits
give encouragement to the industr
ious, invite competition, provide cap.
ital for expansion and create the
excessive demand for labor that adj
vances wages"