Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-02-21
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Revenue Measure 10
Come Out of Chaos

New York.-Amos Pinchot, publ
cist, has issued a statement on United
States war taxes in which he says:
up to the present time, practically
the only people WHO have been heard
on the subject Of paying for the war.
have been the bankers, the agents OF
the corporations, in fact, the people
who are making money out of the
war, and, at the same time, escaping
a fair share of taxation.
Congress has passed an income and
excess profits tax that cannot be col
lecteds because it is too complicated.
If it could be collected, it would still
be both unjust and inadequate. Under
its provisions, a married mar (without
a family who has a net income of
$4,000 a year, pays an income tax Of
$3.50; he keeps the remaining $44,82
Under its provisions a million dollar
corporation which Melted $1,000 a
year before the war, and which now
nets 100000, pays a tax OF $154, 200,
and keeps the remaining $345, 500.
That means this corporation makes
almost 400 per cent more than it did
in normal times.
"Of course we have war bonds. You
cannot raise twenty billions of dol
lars by taxation alone. The people of
England, however, have not gaped in
open-mouthed silence and let the great
and wise write their tax laws. Nor
be MIXED while the profiteers APP
preached with stool and pail. They
have passed a substantial and work
able set of tax laws. and they are pre-
pairing to proceed to confiscation of
capital in the near future. Already
England has a tax of so per cent on
all net profits over and above the pre-.
var average. In the case of the cor
poration mentioned by me, the profits
tax in England would be $344,0 600 in
stead of $154,200 collected by our
revenue bill (if, indeed, it can be col
lected at alb. In England the amount
of net earnings this corporation would
be allowed to keep would be $156, 900,
instead of the $345, 500 conceded to
wealth by our generous legislators.
1T is time for Americans to wake
up. There is nothing unpatriotic
about demanding a fair distribution Of
the wars burdens. The British labor
party is not bashful about making its
wishes known. 1t states them in no
whispered tones, and parliament and
the cabinet listens most attentively.
But in the United States it is differ
ent. Here we must not ask for just
taxes. We must thank God that the
rich are willing to pay anything at
all.
According to al estimate of ex
perts, based on quarterly reports,
American corporations will make in
our first year of the war in excess
profits alone, over and above their
pre-war average earnings, at least
So, 500, 600, 900. This SUI is slightly
larger than the whole money cost OF
the Civil War; $4,000, 600, 900, an in
conceivable sum, piled UP by the labor
Of the fighting and producing classes,
and from the necessity of u allies!
This will be the war monument OF
American %plutocracy and of the con-
gress that obeyed it, long after the.
war itself is over.
"But there is no use talking about
these Things unless we do something
about it. Congress is going to re
draft the reyenue bill. And congress
is not an impregnable fortress OF
privilege. It has its weak spots. In
fact, there are man patriotic CON
gressmen and senators who will fight
for a fair revenue bill. if the public
will back them up. Some of them
have already done 50, but they need
the publio's support.
ssIf every man and who reads
this would write to Washington TO his
congressman and senator tand gethisA
friends to do ~likawise) demanding
pledge that they will openly fight tor
income and excess profits tax that viii
goat least as far as the English ones,
1T would give our legislators some
thing TO think about. and get them
into a more healthy framed OF mind
BERLIN DENouNcEs POLES
ron REsENTIne PARTITION