The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1918-06-13

ish's oh the search for opportunities
l. e., for creative and productive us
In the hands of the government If
l. apt to lose good deal of its fructify
ing energy and ceaseless striving an
: to sink instead into placid and somnc
lent repose.
, There need not be and there shoul
not be any conflict between profit
and patriotism. am utterly oppose,
10 those who would utilize their coun
} try's war Us means to enrich them
serves. The "war profiteer," as tn,
term is generally understood, is a pub
tic nuisance and an ignominy. Extor
tionate profits must not be tolerated
out' on the other hand. there should
oe reasonably liberal disposition to
ward business and willingness to see
1t make substantial earnings.
For, taxation presupposes earnings
Our credit structure is based upop
values, and values are largely deter,
mined by earnings. Shrinkage Of
values necessarily affects our CAPACITY
to provide the government with the
sinews of war.
Tho conscrIption Of Men.
heVerting now to the subject Of the
conscriptlon of men, know 7 snear
the sentiment of all those beyond the
years OF young manhood when r sav
that there Is not one of us worthy OF
the name of man who would not
Willingly go to fight If the country
needed or wanted us to fight. Rut the
country does not want or call its on.
tire manhood to fight. 1t does NOT
even call anywhere near its entire
young manhood. 1t has called or in.
tends to cali in the immediate futnre
perhaps 25 per cent of its men no.
tween twenty and thirty years of age.
Which means probably about per
cent. OF It's 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 an.
ninety per cent. of our
war taxation, not to mention the con.
tributions to the Red Cross, the Y NJ
:. A. and other war relief activities
Let me add in passing that the chill.
dren Of the we'll to do have been taken
or the war in proportionateIy greater
numbers than the children of the moor
because those young men who are need.
"a at home to support dependents or to
maintain essential war industries are
xempted from the draft.
Our Laws Favor Sens Of the Poor.
The draft exemption regulations dis.
rimInate not, as in former wars. In
avor Of the rich mans son, but In
avor Of the poor woman's son,
realize but too well that the burden :
the abnormally high cost of living. ~
fused largely by the war, weighs heav.
y indeed upon wage earners and still
ore upon men and women with mod
ate salaries yield to no one in nv
esire to see everything done that ia
'acticable to have that burden light.
led. But excessive taxation on capital
Ill not accomplish that; on the con.
ary, 1t will tend to intensity the trou.
e.
Taxation must be sound and wise
d scientific and cannot be laid In a
phazard way or on impulse or &C.
riding to considerations of politics. -
1erwise the whole country will suffer.
story has shown over and over again
at the laws of economics cannot be
fed with impunlty and that the re. (
ting penalty falls upon all sections
d classes.
The question Of the individual is not
, one that counts. The question Is
what sacrifices capital should and
uld be willing to bear if called upon
what taxes 1t is to the public ad.
1tage to impose.
do not say all this to plead for q
uctlon Of the taxation on wealth or
order to urge that no additional
es be imposed on wealth If need be. o,,,
ere Is no limit to the burden which +ho
line Of stress and strain those must NJ
willing to bear who can afford It ex- flor
only that limit which is imposed "
The consideration that taxation must whs
reach point where the business our
witty Of the country becomes Grip. GOV
thel
anu i.s eco''ohic equilibrium Is the