New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-03-13

COrDOroClOu ll1dhcS IallIAOoC fVV Pei SO1AV
more than it did in normal times.
Is this bearing fair share Of the
wars privations and sufferings? Com
pare the sacrifice made by the $4,000
wear man and the 100000 a year
corporation with that of the poor man.,
to whose family war has meant hunger,
cold, closed schools, sickness, doctors
bills and debt! Is this a case of equal
sacrifice, or is it a case Of appalling
sacrifice for the poor man and little or
none for the rich man? +
And yet the American people have
looked on in silence. We have been told
by our trustees Of public opinion that
to talk about taxing wealth would be
unpatriotic. We have not dared to
speak. Only the millionaires, the bank
ers, politicians, profteers and big news
papers that represent them have dis
cussed taxes. d: I:
Of course, we have our war bonds.
You cannot raise twenty millions OF
dollars by taxation alone; but you can
raise a large part of that sum by taxes;
and, in addition to taxes, by direct
confscation Of capital, as. tie British
cabinet now. proposes. Naturally the
capitalists prefer to have the war financed
by bonds rather than by taxes or con-:
fscation. The purchaser of a bond:
becomes ' patriot and gets a safe4 per-
cent investment. But the corporations
or individual, whose incomes and profits
are taxed, gets only tax receipt: There
fore war bonds are sacred institutions:
and war taxes are anathema. -?
The people in England, however:
have not CAPPED in open-mouthed silence
and let the great and wise write their
tax laws. Nor have they stood like
COWS waiting to be MIXED while the pro-
fiteers approached with the stool and pail.
They have passed substantial and work
able set of tax laws, and they are pre-
pairing to proceed to confiscation OF
capital in the near future. Already
England has tax of 80 per cent on all
net. profits over and above the pre-
war average. In the case Of the cor
poration mentioned by me, the profits
tax in England would be $344,000 in
stead of the $154,200 collected by our
revenue bill Gf, indeed, it can be col
lected at ally. In England the amount
of net earnings this corporation would
be: allowed2to keep would be $156,000,
instead of the $345,800 conceded to
wealth by.our generous legislators. a.
According to an estimate of experts,
based on quarterly: reports, American
corporations will make in our first year
Of the war in excess profits alone, over
and above pre-war average earnings,
at least $3,60O,OOO,0O0. This sum is
slightly larger than the whole money
cost: of the Civil War. Three billion
six hundred million-an inconceivable
sum, piled up by the labor of the fighting
and producing classes, and from the
necessity of our Allies. l..
:. But there is no use talking about
these things unless we do something
about it. Congress is going to redraft
the revenue bill. And Congress is not
an impregnable fortress of privilege:
Its has its weak spots: Z. In fact, there.
are many patriotic Congressman and
Senators who will fight for a. fair revenue
bill, if the public will back them up.
Some of them have already done,s but
they need the public's support. F.
!. # every man and woman who reads
this would write to Washington to his
Congressman and Senator (and get his
friends to do likewise), demanding a
pledge that they will openly fight for
income and excess profits tax that will
20 at least as far as the English ones,
it would give our legislators something
! to think about, and get them into a
more healthy frame Of mind.
Just at present, there should be more
fearless thought and action by all
Americans. They should remember that
| -
this is a democracy, and that they are
citizens and not subjects. Their office
holders, from pound-master to President,
are their servants - their hireG men,
selected and paid by them to protect
the majority's interests. If you, the
people of America, would demand from
your governmental employees half the
obedience that your capitalistic employers
demand Of you, there would be no trouble
in making the rich pay their fair share
for this war. Amos Pinckot in Issues
and Euents.
Rev. Durbahn, Of Los Angeles, Cal
4 ifornia, arrived Saturday night at TIL
n George Durbahn home where he vii