Evening journal., 1918-09-24

The House revenue bill has now gone
to the upper branch Of Congress. 1t
may be radically amended by the Sem
ate; il may not be. But, Senate cOrrec-
tion or no Senate correction, already
II is being revised by the economic
law.
The economic law is no Stacker. 1t
Is on the job all the time. II is no
Kitchin bungler. IL hevs straight to
the line, though a Kitchin, undertaking
TO determine the industrial fate Of a
nation, skids all over the lot
Chairman Kitchin's blatant boast has
been that he would assess the expense
OF the war on that part Of the coun-
try north OF Mason and DiXon's line.
His pertnaclous ambition has been not
merely TO assess IL north Of Mason and
Dixons line but TO wiring 1t out Of a
few hundred thousand persons north
Of Mason and Dixon's line. Wherefore,
he has drawn against industry taxes to
empty their pockets. But the chicken
that Is plucked to its skin is incapable
OF furnishing more stufiing for feather
pillows: the man or woman that IS
permanently strapped may become use
less for further taxation purposes. The
wheat field that is blasted by frost will
provide no bread; the industry that is
thrOttled in its necessary operations
will yield simmer production.
These things, Mr.. Kitchin, chairman
Of the WAYS and Means Committee, has
been doing his level best to bring
about. Yet some Of the things that he
declared never should happen are actu-
Al 40 Ia
God disposed.
Because Kitchin would strap them,
tens Of thousands Of individuals may
take fewer bonds than they were able
Ia take before. Thousands Of indus
trial and commercial concerns may be
able to take fewer Because kitchin
would strap them, ten OF thousands Of
individuals may not be able even to
pay the income taxes they paid before.
Thousands OF industrial and COM
mercial concerns may be in the same
box. Nevertheless, the economic law
takes Mr.. Kitchin by the collar and
shakes some Of his economic stupldi-
ties out OF his system.
Deliberately Mr.. Kitchin excluded
millions and millions Of American citi-
zens from the income tax provisions.
But now the higher cost Of living Is
recruiting them by millions in the
income tax army. The SIT a week man
goes up TO SO or S23 a week, still re-
naming I'm the income tax no mans
land. But the force which drives the
SIT a week man up 20 S23 a week drives
the 500 a week man up to $50 and the
$50 a week man up TO $40 and so on
until we have new income tax payers
in droves. even on that sacred ground
south OF Mason and Dixon's line.
Some Of the statistics Of a single In
dustry Will illustrate how the income
tax army is being recruited despite Mr.
Kitchin. Since this country went into
the war the better paid railway en-
ployes have had nothing like the ad-
vances that have been given in other
Industrial fields. Yet the official rec
ords show that more than $1,000 rail-
way workers in general and division
officers, averaging considerably lower
than $1,000 year in 1911, have gone
over the income tax top by several
hundred dollars each in 1918. Some
$500 travelling agents were far below
the income tax deadllne last year; now
they are on the very edge OF II, and
goodness knows how far beyond II they
will be next year. The same is true
Of nearly 5000 train despatchers Some
1900 yardmasters who were clean out
OF it until this year are now in the In
come tax zone. The same Is true or
some 22.OO0 yard engineers. while near
ly $4,000 road freight engineers have
gone over the income tax top, with
more than 10000 road freight cOnduc-
tors close at their heels. More than DO
600 passenger engineers and conductors
were in the exempt dugouts last year;
now they are right out on the firing
line. Some 10000 brand new income
tax payers in this one field alonel
But great deal more than this has
happened. Hundreds Of thousands
working directly and indirectly for the
governments -shipbuilders, steamttters,
riggers, iron and steel workers, general
mechanics, munition workers and the
like-have had their earnings, through
higher pay and through heavy over
time allowances. run up from S2i. s2l
and $50 a week to 500, 500, $40 and even
$50. skilled labor, in other words
ihas been hoisted into the income tax
class by war prices. That IS where
our colossal war costs are gOing-t0
limited numbers in millions OF dollars,
but TO those general workers In bill
lions Of dollars.
Now, the fact that the higher wages