Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-05-23

can be done by developing and main
tanning upon an adequate scale tn
amirable organization created by tn
department Of labor for placing me
seeking work: and 1t can be done, Il
at least one very great field, by Great
ing new opportunities for individua
enterprise. The secretary of the inter
ior has pointed out the way by whic
returning soldiers may be helped T
find and take up land in the hithert
undeveloped>- regions of the countr
which the federal government alread
has prepared or can readily prepar
for cultivation and also, on many o
the cutover or neglected area whic
lie within the limits of the older states
1 and I once more take the liberty o
recommending very urgently that hi
plan shall receive the immediate an
substantial support Of the congress.
Peculiar and very stimulating con
ditions await our commerce and In
dustrial enterprise in the immediat
future. Usual opportunities will pres
entity present themselves to our mar
kets, and large fields for profitable II
vestment will be opened to our ire
capital. But it is not only of tina
that 1 am thinking; it is not chiefi
Of that that I am thinking. Man,
great industries Frustrated by the wa
wait to be rehabilitated, in many part
of the world where what will be lack
ing is not brains or willing hands o
organizing capacity or experience
skill, but machinery and raw material
and capital. l believe that our bust
ness men, our merchants, our manu-
facturers and our capitalists, will haV'
the vision to see that prosperity II
one part of the world ministers u
prosperity everywhere; that there Ii
in a very true sense solidarity OF In
terest throughout the world OF enter
prise and that our dealings with tn
countries that have need of our pro
ducts and our money will teach then
to deem us more than ever friends
whc~o necessities we seek in the righ
way to serve.
New Merchant Ships.
Our new merchant ships, which have
in some quarters been feared as de
structive rivals, may prove helpfu
rivals, rather and common servants
very much needed and very welcome
Our great shipyards, new and old
will be so opened to the use OF th'
world that they will prove immensel!
serviceable to every maritime people
RESTORING, luOlS ioRiuiS eho1
would otherwise have been possible
the tonnage wantonly destroyed II
the war. I have only to suggest tina
there are many points at which W.
can facilitate American enterprise II
foreign trade by opportune Legislation
and make it easy for American mer
chants to go where they will be wei
coined as friends rather than a!
dreaded antagonists. America has
great and honorable service to- per,
form in bringing the commercial anc
industrial undertakings of the worlt
back to their old scope again, anc
putting a solid structure Of credit un.
der them. All our legislation shoulc
be friendly to such plans and pur'
poses. -,
And credit and enterprise alike
will be quickened by timely and help
full legislation with regard to taxation
1 hope that the congress will find i
possible to undertake an early recon
sideration of federal taxes, In orqel
to make our system of taxation more
simple and easy Of administration ano
the taxes themselves as little burden.
some as they can be made and YET
suffice to support the government anc
meet all it's obligations. The figures
to which these obligations have arisen
are very great indeed, but they are
not SO great to make it difficult fol
the nation to meet them, and NEE,
them, perhaps, in a single generation
by taxes which. will neither crush mol
discourage. These are not so great as
they seem, not so great as the I'm
mense sums we have had to borrow
added to the immense sums we have
had to raise by taxation, would seem
to Indicate; for a very large proper
ton of those sums were raised in or
der that they might be loaned to the
governments with which we were asso.
ciated in the war and those loans viii
Of course, constitute assets, not liza
bilities, and will not have to be taker
care of by our tax payers.
Must Watch Taxation.
The main thing we shall have tc
care for is that our taxation shall res
as lightly as possible on the production
resources of the country, that its rate!
shall be stable, and that it shall bt
constant in it's revenue yielding power
We have found the main sources from
which it must be drawn. l take 1t FOL
granted that its mainstays will hence
forth be the income tax, the eXceS!
profits tax and estate tax. All these
can be so adjusted as to yield constan
and adequate returns and yet not con;
stitute a too grievous burden on thu
taxpayers. A revision Of the income
tax has already been provided for b!
the act of 1918, but think you vii
find that further changes can be made
to advantage both in the rates or th'
tax and in the method of its collection
The excess profits tax need not long b'
maintained at the rates which were
necessary while the enormous expenses
of the war had to be borne; but i
should be made the basis Of perma
nent system which will reach undue
profits without discouraging the enter
prise and activity Of our business men
The tax on inheritances ought, nj
doubt to be reconsidered in its relation
to the fiscal system of the severa
states, but it certainly ought to remair
a permanent part of the fiscal system
of the Federal government also.
Many of the minor taxes provided
for in the revenue legislation OF 19l
and 1918, though, no doubt made nee
essary by the pressing necessities o
the war time, can hardly find sufh
cient justification under the easier cir
cumstance Of peace and can happll!
be got rid of. Among these, l hop'
YOU will agree, are the exercises upol
various manufacturers and the taXe
upon retail sales. They are unequa
on different industries and on diiferen
individuals. Their collection is diff
cult and expensive. Those which ar
levied upon articles sold at retail ar
largely evaded by the readjustment o
retail prices. On the other hand
should assume that it is expedient t
maintain a considerable range of indi
rect taxes and the fact that alcohoh
liquors will presently no longer anor'
a source of revenue by taxation make
it the more necessary that the nell
should be carefully restudied in orde
that equivalent sources of revenue ma,
be found which it will be Legitimate
and not burdensome to draw upon
But YOU have at hand in the treasur'
department many experts who can al
wise you upon the matters much pette
than I can. / can only suggest IN
lines of permanent and workabl
system and the placing Of the take
where they will least hamper the III
of the people.
No General Revision,