The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-02-20

Union conference, in which are dele
gates from the United States and Eng
land, is discussing international labor
legislation in conjunction with the
Socialists.
Turkey let out loud wall recently
In protest against the proposition to
put Constantinople, the Bosporus and
the Dardanelles under international
control. This idea is being promul-
gated in Paris especially by the en-.
tente nations, and they assert that
the controlling nation should be the
United States as the one .disinterest'
ed power that could handle the terri
tory. The Ottoman liberal party,
which has been ti-German through
out the war, asked President Wilson
to save Constantinople to Turkey by
giving it chance at self-determina.
ton. Several days later the sultan
himself sent secret letter to the lib
eral Turks In France and Switzer.
land, appealing to them to return
home and save their country from the
starvation and lawlessness prevalent
under the regime by which the nom
inal ruler is dominated. Many com.
munities and municipalities under
Ottoman rule have sent petitions to
the American peace delegates asking
that they be put under the protec
ton of the United States.
The labor situation in America and
Great Britain was getting worse In
stead of better last week, and il the
opinion Of certain British high officials
and of many persons in this country
is correct, it will not improve much
until the alien anarchist leaders are
completely squelched. These profes
sional disturbers are held to blame
especially for the strikes in the Unit
ed Kingdom, many Of which are moi
authorized by the governing bodies
Of the trades unions. London was
badly crippled by strikes of nearly
all transportation workers and the en-.
gineers on some Of the steam rail
roads went out in sympathy. The
government refused to interfere on
the ground that the controversies
were solely Industrial, but tried to re
lieve the situation by starting a mill
tary motor service to supplement that
Of the buses, which were still run
ming. The mechanics Of the army
service corps in depots adjoining Lon
don, to the number of 1000, refused
to go on duty Thursday because they
wanted to be demobilized and to con
tinue work as civilians.
The United States was hit hardest
last week at points widely separated
New York and Seattle. In tht
metropolis building operations were
virtually tied up by lockout de
clared by the Building Trades EN-
ployers' association which affected
25,OOO workers and which threatened
to spread throughout the country and
Canada.
In Seattle the 10000 shipbuilders
who are on strike received the sup.
port of general strike which was
started on Thursday. Practically ali
union lab0rers quit work, though the
engineers In the municipal lighting
plants were exempt. The textile
workers in Lawrence, Mass, struck
for 48-hour week with 81 hours pay.
One more greatest war revenue
bill in the country's history" was pre-.
scented to the house last week by
Chairman Kitchin Of the ways and
means committee. AS fixed up by
the conference it provides for the col.
lection of about $4,000, 100000 in taxes
from the American citizen, and in ad.
dition it gives bonus Of $50 to each
soldier, sailor, marine and woman
nurse in the American forces. Pretty
nearly everything one possesses OF
does will be subject to tax. Even
the president and all other federal
officials must pay tax, on their ins
comes, though state officials do not.
The normal income tax for 1913 is
6 per cent on incomes up to $4,000
and II per cent on higher incomes.
After 1918 the normal is per cent
on incomes up to $4,000 and 8 per
cent on those over $4,000. The pres
ent normal is 4 per cent.
The income surtax rates begin at
per cent on incomes of $1,000 to &c.
900 and run to 65 per cent on incomes
of over $1,000000.
Provision is made for both war and
excess profits taxes in the fiscal year,
but after that the war profits tax
comes off. except in certain specified
cases where war contracts run over
in later years.