Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-23
AWFUL LOT OF MONEY
NEEDED BY UNCLE SAM
How to Collect Dollars Without Losing
Votes, Problem Confronting Repub-
lcan Majority In Congress.

is Drought up TO or ~ per cent II
will still be but a small fraction of
what is needed to pay Uncle Sans
bills for water that has already gone
over the wheel.
A few years ago thetariff used to
pay more than half the expenses of
income tax. In 1897, for example, we
got $146.00O.0 900 from internal revenue
and $176.000,000 from customs. During
the war with Spain we increased the
internal revenue, but in 1906 there
was collected s249.OO0, 900 from inter-
nal revenue and s300,0OO,O00 from
customs. In 1910 the internal revenue
was $3.50 .O0O, 900 and customs s333,0OO.-
600. But times have changed-now
We get only about per cent.
Yet this government has gone on
tremendously increasing expenses
while revenue has been decreasing
spending money like drunken sail
or"
Excess Profits Melt Away.
With the war over the returns from
the excess profits tax will be reduced
to minimum. The income and stamp
taxes are the main source of internal
revenue-so the financial debt is rest
ing more and more heavily directly
upon the average, wage-earning citi-
zen.
some advocate consumption taxes
out that would raise an awful howl.
and the republican leaders are afraid
they dare not do it with presidential
election coming along just at the
time the money must be collected.
ihere was considerable furry in the
early days of the special session of
Congress just adjourned by the House
regarding the repeal of the so-called
luxury taxes. The House passed the
repeal, but this got no further than
the Senate finance committee. The
luxury taxes will have to stay, lead
ers now say. and they point out that
Injuries ought to be taxed, because,
for example. the soda fountains and
ice cream factories seem to have
plenty of sugar to meet trade require
ments. while the average citizen has
to stint himself on sugar on his home
table. .--r--
Talk of Bond Issue.
Secretary Glass has advised MEM
bers of Congress that I'VE have had
the last popular bond ISSUE" but the
members of Congress are not so Ger.
tain. They know that il there is
soldiers bonus law passed there must |
be bond issue. and perhaps anyway.
To float another bond issue it would
have to be made very attractive-pos-
sibly per cent interest, congressman
think, would put it over But as soon
as s per cent bond was offered it
would be Goodbye. liberty bonds"
for the people would Just naturally
stop paying on them and there would
be big slump in their values. So
that's another phase of the problem
that Congress is facing.
Here's another thought--folks don't
consider that we have any pensions to
pay out of the world war, but as a
matter of fact we have a big pension
List through the compensation to
wounded and sick soldiers and their
families, and through vocational re-
habilitation-fully equivalent to the
old civil war pension rolls. The pay
ment Of insurance on all those who
lost their lives is another very great
item Of expense.
Big Deficit in Sight.
The Kitchin revenue law was de-
signed to raise $4,000. 900, 900 last year
and $4,000, 100000 this year. There is
at least a $2,4s1,273.s45 deficit this
year without any Of the big humani-
tartan, sociological and commendable
projects recently urged. Prohibition
cut of an income of at least $500, 000,-
900, and the raising Of tariff rates
cannot bring in more than an addi-
tional s250,000,000.
Where is the money coming from?
Congressman especially the repub-
licans in control-are between the
devil and the deep blue sea-" Any one
who can throw them plank will be
hailed as savior-especially a plank
on which they can float to victory in
1920 out of this sea of financial
troubles.