New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-02-05

male politicians have too long neglect
ed the grievances Of the small house
hold, which is the prey of every profit
eering combination; and neither the
Liberal nor the Conservative party
promises, in this respect, any amend
ment. This, too, is in no sense a
Class measure. It is, SO the Labor
party holds, just as much the function
Of government, and just as necessary
part of the democratic regulation Of
industry, to safeguard the interests of
the community as a whole, and those
of all grades and sections Of private
consumers, in the matter Of prices, as
it is, by the Factory and Trade Boards
acts, to protect the rights Of the wage
earning producers in the matter of
wages, hours Of labor, and sanitation.
A Revolution in National Finance.
In taxation, also, the interests of the
professional and housekeeping classes
are at one with those of the manual
workers. Too long has our national
finance been regulated, contrary to
the teaching Of political economy, ac-
cording to the wishes of the possess
ing classes and the profits of the fin
anciers. The colossal expenditure in
volved in the present war (of which,
against the protest of the Labor party,
only a quarter has been raised by ia
xation, whilst three-quarters have
been borrowed at onerous rates of in
terest, to be burden on the nations
future) brings things to crisis. When
peace comes, capital will be needed for
all sorts Of social enterprises, and the
resources of government will necessa-
rily have to be vastly greater than
they were before the war. Meanwhile
innumerable new private fortunes are
being heaped up by those who have
taken advantage of the nations needs;
and the one-tenth of the population
which owns nine-tenths of the riches
of the United Kingdom, far~from be-
ing made poorer, will find itself, in the
aggregate, as result of the war,
drawing in rent and interest and di-
vidends larger nominal income than
ever before. Such a position demands
revolution in national finance. How
are we to discharge a public debt that
may we'll reach the almost incredible
figure of seven thousand million
pounds sterling, and at the same time
raise an annual revenue which, for 10
cal as we'll as central government,
must probably reach one thousand
millions year? It is over this prob
lem of taxation that the various poll
teal parties will be found to be most
sharply divided.
The Labor party stands for such a
system Of taxation as will yield all the
necessary revenue to the government
without encroaching on the prescribed
national minimum. standard of life of
any family whatsoever, without ham
pering production or discouraging any
useful personal effort, and with the
nearest possible approximation to
equality of sacrifice. We definitely re-
pudiate all proposals for protective
tariff, in whatever specious guise they
may be cloaked, as a device for bur-
dening the consumer with unnecessari-
ly enhanced prices, to the profit of the
capitalist employer or landed prophet
or, who avowedly expects his profit or
rent to be increased thereby. We shall
strenuously oppose any taxation, of
whatever kind, which would increase
the price of food or of any other ne
cessary of life. We hold that indirect
taxation on commodities, whether by
customs or excise, should be strictly
limited to Injuries, and concentrated
principally on those of which it is So
cially desirable that the consumption
should be actually discouraged. We
are at one with the manufacturer, the
farmer, and the traderain objecting to
taxes interfering with production or
commerce, or hampering transport and
communications: In all these matters
once more in contrast with the other
political parties, and by no means in
the interests of the wage-earners al
one-the Labor party demands that
the very definite teachings of econom-
ic science should no longer be disre-
garded as they have been in the past.
For the raising of the greater part
Of the revenue now required, the La
Dor party looks to the direct taxation
of the incomes above the necessary
cost of family maintenance; and, for
the requisite effort to pay off the ma
tional debt, to the direct taxation of
private fortunes both during life and
at death. The income tax and super
tax ought at once to be thoroughly re
formed in assessment and collection
in ATTACHMENTS and allowances and in