Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-08-14
WASHINGTON LETTER
Painless System of Taxation Want
ed. Wage Question. Boost
for Miss Rankin. President
on Mob Rule.

Washington-In a big, coolfanned
room on the third floor Of the House
Office building, seated in a semi.
circle with background Of crimson
tapestry, like solemn court. the
members of the house committee on
ways and means are trying to agree
upon the war revenue bill. Chairman
Kitchin reports to the public at the
end of each days sitting, and tries to
discover, each morning, new source
of easy and painless taxation. OF
course this new taxation must be
neither radical" nor must it 'discour.
age production"
One of the curious developments of
the past few days has been the decla.
ration by Governor Brumbaugh OF
Pennsylvania in favor of the drastic
plan of taxation proposed by the
Farmers National Committee, on War
Finance, of which Benjamin C. Marsh
is secretary. This plan calls for the
taking of all personal incomes above
100000, and for war profits tax
of at least 80 per cent.
Representative John M. Baer of
North Dakota, who is watching the
work of the ways and means commit.
tee, continues to point out that it
would be much more sensible pro.
cedure to stop prof1teering than to tax
the profiteers.
He says that If profteering is an
evil, then the only logical treatment
of it is it's abolition. He believes that
the cost of enforcement of anti-prof
iteering legislation-laws that would
leave something in the pockets of the
producers of food and other goods Of
the country-would be far less thar
| the cost of collecting into the treasury
a part of the money taken from thei1
pockets by extortionate prices. Ant
when the mass of the pepOle are mo-
bled white by protiteers he urges
they will be mighty glad to pay al
income tax that will fill the treasury.
Taxation of speculative values o
land held out of use will not be at
tempted in this bill, due to the usua
constitutional difficulty. Inheritance
taxes will be tuned up few points
but not enough to make our 0ldes
millionaires refuse to die. Congress
is still long way from wanting t.
put the millionaires' sons to work.
We may as we'll prepare ourselve
for the charge, which will be made i
due season by the big business press
that the national war labor board l
becoming the American soviet.
This board, of which Williar
Howard Taft and Frank P. Walsh ar
joint chairmen, and in which fiV
trade union officials and five represe1
tatives of employers associations ar
the other members, is setting the II
dustrial disputes of the whole nation
1t is the court of last resort in Anne
lean industry. And day by day broa'
er and broader considerations are b.
ing brought into the settlement of tn
issues before it. The question Of tn
wage necessary Ito maintain man
family in health and comfort" fC
example, Is being decided, in order t
, set a minimum wage for commO
labor. For two weeks the board is
discuss the possible elements in tn
American idea of family health an
comfort. They are talking of educ
ton, of music, of entertainment GU
| side the home, or vacations, OF tn
) quality and variety of clothing, OF
hundred things which come to tn
! family that looks up from its dali
toll to take part In the life OF
modern community.
: Mr.. Taft Is reported to be as cage
} to set this standard high-t0 help
enunciate new declaration of tt
. right and duty of an American fami
;. to really live and enjoy life, regar
l. less of the fact that the hreadwinn'
8 works for day wages-as is the mo-
untamed labor leader on the board.
3 Every concession to labor sugges
: better things for the farmer.
J. The Russian revolution got und'
;. way when the soviets began to discus
Q the right of the Russian peasant
eat bread and own land and learn
read.
The Baer bill to advance $50, 000, O'
- to farmers in the 1917 drought are'
was killed by the reactionaries in co
> gress last spring. Now the admin
tration is planning to advance spec1
8 loans to farmers who suffered fro
, drought in 1918 at the rate Of So {
acre to insure greater production
8 1919. That the Baer bill was defes
d eded at great risk to the food supply
America is not a reflection on the b.
d but on a good many congressman, n
r. a few from the Northwest, who
Y not represent the people and wi
|. should be retired next November.
l. Three thousand working Wome