The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-11-14

attic, are these:
/. No tax should be SO burdensome
as to extinguish or seriously jeopar-
Its productivity.
2. In war time, when the practice
OF thrift Is Of more vital Importance
than ever to the nation, one of the
most valuable byproducts which tax
alton should aim to secure Is to COM
pei reduction in individual expendi-
lures.
g. Taxation should be as widely
diffused as possible, at however small
a rate the minimum contribution may
be fixed, II only to give the greatest
possible number of citizens an inter-
est to watch the governmental ex-
penditure and an incentive to curb
governmental extravaganza.
1t may safely be asserted that our
war taxation runs counter to every
one Of these (and several other) test
ed principles. While In the case, of
the rich we discourage saving by the
very hugeness of our taxation, or
make it impossible, we reach the same
undesirable result by opposite means
in the case of those with more moder-
ate INCOMES. The enormous prepon-
derance of saving which could and
should be effected does not lie within
the possibilities of the relatively
small number of rich people, but of
the huge number of people with mod
crate incomes Moreover, while the
rich, in consequence of taxation, limi-
tation Of profits, etc, have become
less able to spend freely since our en-
trance into the war, workingmen and
farmers, through increased wages,
steadier employment and higher prices
Of crops, respectively, have become
able to spend more freely.
Workingmen are in receipt of wages
never approached in pre-war times,
many Of them making incomes a good
deal higher than the average profess
sional man, while the profits of busi-
ness, generally speaking, are on a
declining scale and certain branches
Of business have been brought virtu-
ally or even completely to stand
still.
The Distribution of Incomes.
OF our total national income, estim-
ated at, say $4,000, 100000 annually, it
Is safe to say that not more than ST.
000000,000 goes to those with incomes
of, say $4,000 and above while $685.
000000,000 goes to those with lower
incomes. Yet we decline to employ
one of the most effective means to
compel saving namely, consumption
and similar taxes such as every other
belligerent nation without exception
has imposed. / know it is not popu-
lar to say things in criticism of war
burdens of a financial nature. ones
motives are liable to be misunderstood
to have 1t scornfully pointed out to
him how small relatively is the sacri-
flee asked of him, compared with the
sacrifice of position, prospects. and
life itself, so willingly and proudly Of
fered by the young manhood of the
land. 1t is a natural and effective re-
joinder, but it is not sound or logi-
cal one.
Heaven knows, my heart goes out to
our splendid boys, and my admiration
for their conduct and achievements
and my reverence for the spirit which
animates them knows no bounds. But
am acquainted with hundreds of
business men who bemoan their gray
hair and their responsibilities which
prevent them from having the privi-
lege Of fighting our foe arms in hand
And I know no American business
man worthy of the name who would
not willingly give his life and all his
possessions if the countrys safety and
honor required that sacrifice.
But to win the war and to deal with
the problems incident to and result
ing from it, bravery and patriotic de-
votion alone are not sufficient. Rea-
son must check emotion, reflection
must curb impulse The effort of So
Der thought Is called for, and the
moral courage TO speak ones con-
victions, provided they are those of a
loyal American. 1t is easy to float
with the prevailing surface currents
of the day, and tempting to attune
ones utterances to sentiments which
are sure to meet with popular APP
plause, But the value of an exchange
of opinions lies In the difference of
views honestly held and presented. 1t
Is through free discussion, through the
meeting of conflicting opinions in the
public forum that the truth is sought
and ascertaned in a republic
Paternalism Real Danger.
The picture of bureaucratic pater-
nalism fastening its shackles upon
nation which went to war to preserve
liberty is not fanciful one Through
the accident of war, paternalism at
present rules supreme. That is in
evitable in war time The one and
supreme task before the nation is to
win the war. No personal or business
must be permitted to
stand in the way of the necessities of
that task and no one must for one
he tfat tA -, az,