Newport daily independent., 1918-03-12

lively or selnshly. The money that 1t is In his power actually to waste is ex- ceedingly limited The bulk of what he has must be spent and used for productive purposes, just as would be the case If It were spent by the gov. ernment. with this difference. however, that, generally speaking, the individual Is more palnstaking and discriminating in the use of his funds and at the same time bolder, more imaginative. enter prisins and constructive than the gov ernment' 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 Il e.. for creative and productive use. In the hands of the government 1t is apt to lose good deal of its fructifying energy and ceaseless striving and to sink instead into placid and somnolent repose
 There need not be and there should not be any conflict between profits and patriotism 1 am utterly opposed to those who would utilize their coun- try's war as q means to enrich them selves. The ''war profiteer," as the term is generally understood. is pub lie nuisance and an ign0miny. Extor- donate profits must not be tolerated, but, on the other hand, there should be reasonably liberal disposition to ward business and willingness to see it make substantial earnings.
 For taxation presupposes earnings. Oul credit structure is based upon values. and values are largely deter mined by earnings Shrinkage of value. necessarily affects ouI capacity to provide the government with the sinews of war
 The conscription of Men.
 Reverting now to the subject of the conscription of men. know ] speak the sentiment of all those beyond the years of young manhood when l say that there Is not one of us worthy of the name of 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 It's en- tire manhood tc fight It does not ev4s cail anywhere near it's entire younp manhood IL has called or in- tends to call in the immediate future perhaps 25 per cent of tts men be- tween twenty and thirty years of age, which means probably about I per cent of its total male population of all ages But It 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- tribAtions to the Red Cross, the M. 0. A. and other war relief activities
 Let me add in passing that the chil dren of the well to do have been taken for the war In approximately 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 crhninate not as in former wars in favor of the rich mans con. but ,n favor of the poor woman's son. realize but too well that the nur den of the abnormally high cost of living. caused largely by the war weighs heavily indeed upon wage earn err and still more upon men and wo user with moderate Salaries yield D no one In my desire to see every ,irng done thai Is practicable to have thai burden lightened But excessive taxation on capital will not accom- pish that; on the contrary. 1t will tend e intensity the trouble.
 Taxation must be sound and wise and scientific and cannot be laid - haphazard way or on impulse o, ac cordfng te considerations of politics. otherwise the whole country will suf fer History has shown over and over again that the laws of economics can not he defied with impunity and thai , ths resulting penalty tsils upoI all sectiens and classes
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