The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1918-06-06
WILSON INFORMS
CONGRESS A TAX
LAW IS REQUIRED
NEW WAR REVENUE LEGlSlA.
TON is ASKED BEFORE SEES
w.. SION ADJoURNS.
DUTY is STARK AND NAKED
Wilson Insists Winning of War DOM
mates Every Other Consideration
Taxation Will Be Great Aid
f in Crushing Profiteering.

Taxation Will Be Great Aid
in Crushing Profteering.
Washington, May 28.-President
Wilson personally took charge of the
war tax legislation tangle AID appear
ing Unexpectedly before joint session
of congress, declared it was necessary
to proceed Immediately with new war
tax laws. He spoke as follows:
The Presidents Message.
Gentlemen of the congress:
1t is with unaffected reluctance that
I come to ask you to prolong your ses-
sion long enough to provide more ade-
Quate resources for the treasury for
the conduct of the war. have reason
to appreciate as fully as you do how
arduous the session has been. Your
3abOrs have been severe and protract-
ed. You have passed a long series of
measures which required the debate
Of many doubtful questions Of judy
ment and many exceedingly difficult
questions of principle as we'll as OF
z practice. The summer is upon us in
which labor a1d counsel are twice ar
duo,ls and are constantly apt to be i'm
l.
elections are at hand and we ought as
soon as possible to go and render an
intimate account of our trusteeship to
the people who delegated us to act for
them in the weighty and anxious mat
ters that crowd upon US in these days
OF critical choice and action. But we
dare not go to the elections until we
have done our duty to the full. These
are days when duty stands stark and
oaked and even with closed eyes we
know it is there. Excuses are unavail-
ing. We have either done our duty or
We have not. The fact will be as gross
and plain as duty itself. In such a
case lassitude and fatigue seem neg.
digfble enough. The facts are tonic,
and suffice to freshen the labor.
!. II. Additional Taxes Needed.
And the facts are these. Additional
eevenues must manifestly be provided
tor. 1t would be most unsound policy
to raise too large proportion of them
by loan and it Is evident that the four
billions now provided for by taxation
will not of themselves sustain the
greatly enlarged budget to which we
must Immediately look forward. We
cannot in fairness wait until the end
Of the fiscal year is at hand to iapprise
sur people OF the taxes they must pay
IN their earnings of the present cal
pndar year, whose accountings and ex-
penditnres WI then be closed. We
cannot get increased taxes unless the
eountry knows what they are to be
and practises the necessary economy
to make them available. Definiteness,,
early definiteness. as to what it's tasks
are to be il absolutely necessary for
the successful administration of the
TREASURY. It. cannot frame fair ana
workable regulations in haste. And it
must frame it's regulations in haste II
4 Il is not to know its exact task until,
the very eve of it's performance.
The present tax laws are married,
moreover, by inequities which ought to
be remedied. 1ndisputable facts, ev-
cry one; and we cannot alter or blink
them. To state them Is argument
enough.
Would Prevent Imitation.
And yet perhaps you will permit me
to dwell for moment upon the situa-
ton they disclose. Enormous loans
freely spent in the stimulation of in.
dustry of almost every sort produce in
cations and extravagances which pres.
entity make the whole economic ;struc.
ture questionable and insecure and the
very basis of credit is cut away. Only
Iair, equitably distributed taxation of
the widest incidence and drawing
chiefly from the sources which would
De likely to demoralize credit by their
very abundance, can prevent imitation
and keep our industrial system free
from speculation and waste. We shall
naturally turn, therefore, I suppose to
war profits and incomes and Injuries
Tor the additional taxes. But the war
prOfits and incomes upon which the
Increased taxes will be levied will
be the profits and incomes of the cal
ondar year 1918. It would be mani
testify unfair to wait until the early
months of 1919 to say what they are
% be. ie
It might be difficult, should mag
me, to run the mill with water that
had already gone over the wheel.
Politics Is Adjourned.
That Is the situation, and It Is the
aituation which creates the duty, no
choice or preference Of ours. There is
on1y one way to meet that duty. We
must meet it without selfishness or
fear Of consequences. Politics is ad-
1ourned. The elections will go to
those who think least Of It., to those
Who 60 to the constituencies without
explanation or excuses, with plain
record of duty faithfully and disinter-
AstedIy performed. for one, am al
~~~~~>>~~>"
Brands Kaiser q Murderer.
New York, May 2s-Asserting that
~Nhe world conflict Is primarily . war
0anaAnx II.