Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-04-22

SOuIu D0s hAOuSJ III TIE lbdnuS VA TIC
individual is continuously and fever
ishly on the search for opportunities
II. e., for creative and productive use.
In the hands of the government it is apt
to lose a 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. / am utterly opposed
to those who would utilize their coun-
try's war as a means to enrich them
selves. The war profteer," as the
term is generally understood, is a pub
lie nuisance and an ignominy. Extor-
Tomato profits must not be tolerated,
but, on the other hand, there should
be a reasonably liberal disposition to-
ward business and a willingness to see
1t make substantial earnings.
For, taxation p~resupposes earnings.
Our credit structure is based upon
values, and values are largely deter
mined by earnings. S%hrinkage of
values necessarily affects our capacity
to provide the government with the
sinews Of war.
The CONSUMPTION of Men.
Reverting now to the subject of the
CONSUMPTION of men, l know ! speak
the sentiment of all those beyond the
years of young manhood when ] say
that there is not one of us worthy of
the name of a 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 to fight. 1t does not
even call anywhere near its entire
young manhood. 1t has called or in
tends to call in the Immediate future
perhaps Is per cent. of its men be-
tween twenty and thirty years of age,
which means probably about 4 per
cent. of Its total male population of all
ages. But 1t 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-
tributions to the Red Cross, the Y. NJ.
G. A. and other war relief activities.
Let me add In passing that the chill
dren of the well to do have been taken
for the war In proportionateIy 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
not, as in former wars, in
favor of the rich mans son, but in
favor of the poor woman's son.
l realize but too well that the bur
den of the abnormally high cost of
living, caused largely by the war,
weighs heavily indeed upon wage earn
ers and still more upon men and wo-
men with moderate salaries. l Yield
no n in my desire to see every /
done that is practicable to have
that burden lightened. But excessive
On capital will not accom-
plish that; on the contrary, it VIII
tend to intensity the trouble.
Taxation must be sound and wise
and scientific and cannot be laid in a
%haphazard way Dr. on impulse or ac-
cordlng to considerations of politics,
otherwise the whole country will suf-
fer. History has shown over and over
again that the laws of economics can
not be defed with impunity and that
The resulting penalty falls upon all
sections and classes.
The question of the individual is not
he n that counts. The question Is
lot what sacrifices capital should and
would be willing to bear If called upon,
put what taxes 1t is to the public ad-
to impose.
l do not say all this to plead for a
reduction of the taxation on wealth or
order to urge that no additional
be imposed o wealth If need be.
There is no limit to the burden which
n time of stress and strain those
must be willing to bear who can af-
ford it except only that limit which is
by the consideration that tax
alton must not reach a point where
he business activity of the country
becomes crippled and its economic
equilibrium is thrown out of gear, be-