Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-02-14
Starving The States.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
In the Senate last Wednesday there was
a thoughtful discussion of Mr.. Bankheads
amendment to the Postal Appropriation
bill extending aid to the States in road
making. The amendment provides an ap-
preparation Of $200.000000 to be dis
tributed among the States which will spend
dollar for dollar upon their roads. This
appropriation will be in addition to $751;
100000 already made.
Senator Wadsworth, in discussing the
amendment. called attention to the in
crease in the funded debts Of various States
brought about largely by money borrowed
for road making. New York has spent
| $l50,000000 OH roads and her annual
budget has increased from $26.000.000
in 1905 TO $82,0OO.000 in 1918. The
State debts of New York and Massachu-
sets incurred for road making are now
$227,0O0.000. To maintain the State
governments and provide for road funds
which this largess from the Federal Treas
ury would require will necessitate heavy
State taxation. And Senator Wadsworth
declares, and justly, that at the present
rate of expenditures by the Congress the
States will starve.
THE Federal Government" he said, has
the last opportunity TO do the taxing, and
it can supersede the taxing powers Of the
State by one method or another. The
States are gradually topping under this
continual increase Of Federal appropria-
tons, and one of the signs Of the topping
is that more and more as the years 90 by
the people Of the States ask the Federal
Government to come to their aid and spend
incidentally. according to my view Of the
matter, means the atrophy Of local ambi-
ton. spirit and civic pride"
So far as State pride as to receiving
largess from the Federal Treasury is con-
cerned. that disappeared long ago. The
Federal Treasury is regarded as big COW
which all the States are to milk TO the
utmost And that member Of the Congress
who can get the most from the Treasury
is the one that commends himself most to
his constituents. Economy Is no longer a
virtue that commends itself
The people Of the States do not pause to
remember that whether the money comes
from the State Treasury or the Federal
Treasury, it must first come from the
pockets Of the taxpayers. Mr. Wadsworth's
complaint is that in order to pay the ex-
travagant and needless appropriations
made by the Congress the Federal Govern
ment has seized every source Of revenue
from which the States have derived their
chief support, and so the States are rapidly
being starved. Hundreds Of millions Of
dollars used 10 90 into the Federal Treas
ury from the excise tax on spirituous and
fermented liquors. That revenue is de-
troyed and must be made up by the tax
payers. Many States tax inheritances,
but now the United States has seized that
tax and the States can only continue to
collect it by making II oppressive. Mary
land has derived her main income from
a tax on corporations. But the Federal
Government has now taxed corporations
to the limit. In many other lines the
sources Of State revenues have been seized
More than that, an important tax has
been destroyed Maryland and the city Of
Baltimore have derived a large revenue
from liquor licenses, taxes on whisky in
bond and direct taxes upon breweries, dis
. tilleres and other properties devoted "a
the liquor traffic. This great revenue has
been destroyed and increased taxation
= must be levied upon farms and homes tC
make ii good And the end is not yet.