The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-12-13

May Reduce Amount
+ II the war had continued II 4
4 would have been necessary to 4
4 raise at least 5000. 900. goo by 4
taxation payable In the year 4
1919; but the war has ended 4
4 and l agree with the secretary 4
of the treasury that 1t will be 4
safe to reduce the amount To 4
4 s6.OOo.Ooo.0o0. 4
An immediate rapid decline In the
expenses of the government IL not to
be looked for. Contracts made for
war supplies will, indeed, be rapidly
cancelled and liquidated. but their Inn
mediate liquidation win make heavy
drains on the treasury for the months
just ahead OF US, The maintenance
OF our forces on the other side of the
sea Is still necessary. A considerable
proportion of those forces must re-
main in Europe during the period OF
occupation, and those which are
brought home win be transported and
denobilized at heavy expense for
months to come. The interest ON our
war debt must. OF course. fall much
below what continuation of military
operations would have entailed and So
Ooo.OoOoOo should suffice to supply n
sound foundation for the financial op-
erations of the year.
supports MeAdoo.
entirely concur with the secretary
of the treasury in recommending that
x2,O0O.00O,Uo needed In addition TO
the $4,000, 5000 provided by exist
Ing law be obtained from the profits
which have accrued and shall accrue
from war contracts and distinctiveiy
war business. but that these taxes be
confined to war profits accruing In
l0lS, or In 1919. from business orig.
mating In war contracts. urge your
| acceptance. OF his recommends ton
| that provision be made now, not subse-
quently. that the taxes to be paid In
1870, should be reduced from six to
four billions. Any arrangements less
| definite than these would add eie-
ments of doubt and confusion to the
central period of Industrial readjust-
ment through which the country must
now Immediately pass and which nc
true friend Of the nations essential
business interests can afford to be re-
sponsible for creating or prolonging
Naval Program.
| take II for granted that congress
will carry out the naval program which
was undertaken before we entered the
war. The secretary Of the navy ha,
I submitted to your committees for au
thorixation that part OF the program
which contains the building plans oi
the next three years. These plans hav,
been prepared along the lines and II
accordance with the policy which tn,
congress established. not under tn,
exceptional conditions OF the war. blu
with the Intention Of adhering to I
definite method Of development OF tn,
navy. ! earnestly recommend the un
interrupted pursuit Of that policy.
would clearly be unwise for us to nj
tempt to adjust our programs to
future world policy as yet undeter
mined.
i Railroad Policy.
The question which causes 1
Z me the greatest concern Is the ,
question Of the policy to be 1
adopted towards the railroads. ,
l frankly turn to you for coun- ,
sci upon II. ! have no conf ,
dent judgment OF my own.
do not see how any thought 1
I'll man can have who knows ,
anything OF the completely of ,
the problem. II liz n problem /,
which must be studied immedi- ,
= ately and studied without bias. ,
1t was necessary that the admins
tration Of the railroads should b.
taken over by the government so Ion,
as the war lasted. II would hav,
been impossible otherwise TO establish
and carry through under a single di
rection the necessary priorities o
shipments. 1t would have been I'm
possible otherwise 10 combine maxi
mum production Mt the factories an,
mines and farms with the maximum
possible car supply to take the prod
ucts TO the ports and markets; impos
. sible TO route troop shipments an,
|. freight shipments without regard /,
the advantage or disadvantage OF tn
roads employed; impossible TO sub
ordinate where necessary all question
OF convenience to the public ueces
sity: impossible to give the necessar
, financial support to the roads from tn
public treasury.
! But all these necessities
have now been served. and the 4,
4 question Is. what IL best for the
4 railroads and for the public In
4 the futuref
! Exceptional circumstances and ex
; ceptional methods Of administration