Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-14

productive purposes, just as WouIQ Ds
the case II 1t were spent By the gov
eminent, with this difference, however,
that, generally speaking, the individual
is more painstaking and discriminating
In the use Of his funds and at the same
time holder, more imaginative, enter
prising and constructive than the gov
eminent with its necessarily bureau
cratic and routine regime possibly
could be. Money In the hands OF the
Individual Is continuously and fever
ishly on the search for opportunities-
l. e., for creative and productive use.
In the hands Of the government 1t is
apt to lose a good deal Of Its fructify-
ing energy and ceaseless striving and
to sink instead Into placid and SOM
nolent repose.
There need not be and there should
not be any conflict, between profits
and patriotism. am utterly opposed
to those who would utilize their coun-
try's war as a means to enrich them
selves. The "war profteer," as the
term Is generally understood, Is pub
lie nuisance and an ignominy. Extor-
tionate profits must not be tolerated,
but, on the other hand, there should be
q reasonably liberal disposition toward
business and a willingness to see 1t
make substantial earnings.
For, taxation presupposes earnings
Our credit structure Is based upon
values, and values are largely deter
mined by earnings. Shrinkage OF
values necessarily affects our capacity
to provide the government with TIL
sinews of war.
The CONSUMPTION of Men.
ReVerting DOW 70 the subject OF the
consumption of men, | know | speak
the sentiment of all those beyond the
years Of young manhood when | say
that there Is not one Of us worthy Of
the name Of q man who would not
willingly go to fight If the country
needed or wanted us to fight. But the
country does not want or call its en-
tire manhood to fight. It does not
even call anywhere near it's entire
young manhood. It has called or In
tends to call In the immediate future
perhaps % per cent Of it's men be-
tween twenty and thirty years Of age.
which means probably about 4 per
cent. OF Its total male population of all
ages. But 1t has called from incomes,
business profits and other imposts fall
ing principally on the well to do, ap-
proximately ninety per cent. Of our
war taxation, not to mention the con-
tributions to the Red Cross, the 7, Nd.
Q. A. and other war relief activities.
Let me add in passing that the chill
dren of the we'll to do have been taken
for the war in proportIonateIy greater
numbers than the children of the poor,
because those young men who are
! needed at home to support dependents
or TO maintain essential war industries
are exempted from the draft.
Our Laws Favor Sons Of the Poor.
The draft exemption regulations dis
crlminate not, as in former wars, In
favor OF the rich mans son, but in
favor OF the poor womsn's son.
realize but too we'll that the burden
Of the abnormaIly high cost Of living,
caused largely by the war. weighs heav.
lily indeed upon wage earners and still
more upon men and women with mod.
crate salaries. yield to no one In my
desire to see everything done that Ii
practicable to have that burden light.
ened. But excessive taxation on CAPT
tai will not accomplish that; on the
contrary, it will tend to intensity the
trouble.
Taxation must be sound and wise
and scientific and cannot be laid In a
haphazard way or on impulse or &C
cording to considerations of politics
otherwise the whole country will suffer
History has shown over and over again
that the laws Of economics cannot be
defied with impunity and that the re-
sulting penalty falls upon all sections
and classes.
The question Of the individual Is not
the one that counts. The question ts
not what sacrifices capital should and
would be willing to bear If called upon.
but what taxes 1t is to the public I'D,
vantage to impose.
do not say all this to plead for a
reduction of the taxation on wealth or
In order to urge that no additional
taxes be imposed on wealth If need be.
There is no limit to the burden which
In time Of stress and strain those
must be willing to bear who can afford
1t except only that limit which is i'm
posed by the consideration that taxa
t1on muSt not roach Doint uharo thn