The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-05-27
URGENT NEED
FOR TAX Law
WILSON TELLS
congressman
President Demands that Con-
gress Remain in Session
Until Bills Are Passed to
Meet Cost of War.
MUST PREPARE PEOPLE
(By Associated P.ess.)

WASHINGTON. May 27.-Just as
the German cannons were laundering
their herald of the renewed offensive
on the western battle front President
Wilson today appeared unexpectedly
before congress and demanded that.
laying political considerations and all
others aside, it remain in session un-
til has enacted new war tax laws to
finance the growing cost of the war
and prepare the country for the bur
den it must bear.
At the conclusion Of his prepared
address the president pausing. laid his
hand over his manuscript and added
another precedent breaker to the long
list he has established in his dealings
with congress.
Following is the message of the
President:
Gentlemen Of Congress-:
1t is with unaffected reluctance that
| come to ask you to prolong your
session long enough to provide more
adequate resources for treasury for
conduct Of war. / have reason to ap-
preciate as fully as you do how ard
uous the session has been. Your Ia
bors have been severe and protracted.
You have passed a long series of
measures which required the debate
of many doubtful questions Of judg-
ment and many exceedingly difficult
questions of principle as well as prac-
tice
Summer is upon us in which labor
and counsel are twice as arduous and
are constantly apt to be impaired by
lassitude and fatigue. Elections are
at hand and we ought as soon as
possible to 90 and render an intimate
account Of our trusteeship to people
who delegated us to act for them in
weighty and anxious matters that
crowd upon us in these days Of critical
choice and action. But we dare not
70 to elections until we have done our
duty to full. These are days when
duty stands stark and naked and even
with closed eyes we know it is there.
Excuses are unavailing. We either
have done our duty or we have not.
Fact will be as gross and plain as
duty itself. In such case lassitude
and fatigue seem neglible enough.
facts are tonic and suffice to freshen
labor.
And facts are these: additional
revenues must manifestly be provid-
ed for. II would be most unsound
policy to raise too large proportion of
them by loan and it Is evident that
four billions now provided for by tax
alton will not of themselves sustain
greatly enlarged budget to which we
must Immediately look forward. We
cannot in fairness wait end of fiscal
year Is at hand to apprise our people
Of taxes they must pay on their earn
'gs Of present calendar year, whose
accountings and expenditures will
then be closed. w cannot get increas-
ed taxes unless country knows what
they are to be and practices necessary
economy to make them available. Def.
initeness. early definiteness. as to
what it's tasks are to be is absolutely
necessary for successful administration
of treasury; It cannot frame fair and
workable regulations in haste; and it
must frame it's regulations in haste
il II Is not to know its exact task un-
til the very eve of performance. Pres
ent tax laws are marred, moreover,
by iniquities which ought to be rem
edied. 1ndesputable facts, every one,
and we cannot alter or blink them
To state them is argument enough.
And yet perhaps you will permit me
to dwell FOR moment upon situation
they disclose. Enormous loans freely
spent in stimulation of industry of al
most every sort Of produce infations
and extravagances which presently
make whole economic structure ques-
tionable insecure and very basis Of
credit is cut away. Only fair, equit-
ably distributed taxation OF widest
incidence and drawing chiefly from
sources which would be likely to de-
moralize credit by their very abun-
dance can prevent imitation and keep
our Industrial system free OF spoila-
tion and waste. We shall naturally
turn. I suppose. to war profits and
incomes and luxuries for additional
taxes. But war profits and incomes
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