Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-09-05
Would Have Government Pay
Good Prices RecOuping
On Profit Tax
TAXES SHOULD NOT BE
MADE CONFISCATORY
CIassi6es Paci6Sts and Ger
tain Others As Enemies
Of This Country

Chatham, N. Y, Sept. 5.-Conscrip-
tion of war profits to meet war expens-
es was demanded today by Colonel
Roosevelt. Speaking at the Columbia
county fair here, he declared himself
in favor of "a very heavily graduated
tax on the excess profits due to war
conditions; a tax as heavy as Great
Britain has now imposed -
The highest British war profits tax
is eighty per cent.
Heavily graduated Inheritance and
income taxes are also necessary, Roose-
celt asserted He said they should fol-
low the English and German models.
"In the purchases made by the gov
ernment,' Roosevelt declared, cit
ought to pay prices high enough to en-
able not merely the big manufacturers,
but their smaller and less advantage
ously situated rivals to secure gem
erous living profit. This means that
the big manufacturers would have ex-
cess profits and the proper way to
reach these is by taxing them heavily.
If the government fails to follow such
action, if it follows course of indc-
cision and delay, the result will be as
bad as it has already proved in the
matter of building ships.
Wants Graduated Tax
" At present what is most needed ia
heavily--a very heavily graduated
tax on the excess profits due to war
conditions; a tax as heavy as Great
Britain has now imposed.
Roosevelt advised against "any such
restrictions of profits as would reduce
production or lower wages. he said
'eThe taxes should be laid progress
sivelv on those able to pay, up to, but
not beyond the point whore payment
becomes unjust or oppressive or inter-
feres with production.
The government. he said, should be
careful about fixing prices that are
too low. but "should certainly prevent
excessively high prices"
Roosevelt attacked as "enemies OF
the United States'' the war profiteers,
worl1ingmen who refuse first class
work for first class wage. pro-Ger-
mans. professional pacifists those advo
catinr "peace without victory" the
T. w. w. and the socialist party ma
chine. mn
Demanders of peace except "the
peace of complete victory over the
brutalized and Prussianized Germany
of the Hohenzollerns, were denoune-
cd by Roosevelt as ''enemies to this
country and to mankind. ;.
Denounces Everything
The colonel verbally lashed "shilly-
sballying" in war preparations and
America S unpreparedness. "lt took
Germany less than seven months to
conouer France in 1870" he declared:
"and now after these seven months OF
war preparation we are still nothing
like as formidable as Belgium or Ru-
He advised against "war Dragging :
and recited the following to empha-
size his point:
"What's the use
OF all this Dragging up and down,
When three women and one goose
Make a market in your townf"
After denouncing Germany s war
fare as 'chideous beyond belief, OBJ
scene, cruel, brutal and unspeakapiy
foul" he branded German language
papers as seandaously disloyal to
The Usited States and declared that
anv MANN congress or out-whu
tried to have those of German descent
exempted from army duty against Ger
many were "traitors, pure and SIM
ple. !" Attackers of England are aiso
traitors, he said.