Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-04-10
TALKS ON A NEW
TAXATION SYSTEM
Following Lecture by +. Frank
MacCallumMhor Causing
Much Discussion.

Gentlemen: We have form of
government that is sustained by
code of taxation, therefore everybody
is interested in the subject, Whether
the taxes shall be greater or whether
they shall be lesser" | propose TO
tell you that the taxes per capita un-
der the new proposed system shall
be lesser than they are at the present
day and so much so that we will have
what we might call liberty and free
dom, whereas now we are in an en-
thraldom. The tax that | propose
and wish TO explain is on the par
basic principle, that is, it is equal for
all. In the first place | will tell YOU
how II is proposed TO be worked out.
The government shall supply the post
offices with books of stmps and these
books shall have number of little
wires running through them free of
the covers but fastened TO the back of
the book. In the center are the
stamps, so when a stamp is torn from
the book, the wire shall be so con-
istructed TO destroy the stamp and
shall act as a bookkeeper, silent but
very effective. When ! buy a bill of
goods from a business man and pay
him, say twenty dollars for to goods
(proVlding we have arrived at the
conclusion that one per cent is TO go
to Uncle SAM ! viii give him $3.50
and twenty cents in stamps. 20 pay
for my goods. 1t is the law and the
business man knows il is the law
there is no demur: there is no depre-
ciation Of the capital the business
man had invested in his original in
vestment; his profits were not invest
ed in his business.
At the outset | wish to ask YOU
lone thing: For the time being, believe
what ] say, for you will find that
every statement | make is advised
and purely possible. and you will see
that this Is the coming tax of the
world
Now then, the business man did not
have twenty dollars invested i'm his
business. If his per cent was twenty
per cent. he had sixteen dollars in
vested in business, and when | paid
him nineteen dollars and eighty cents.
l did not depreciate his capital. but
his capital appreciated by $3.50 and
Uncle Sam got twenty cents in the
transaction.
Again. suppose 20 20 the truck
plant and earn five dollars a dav.
The business man stands ten hours or
twelve hours a day in business and
makes twenty per cent profit. vet he
pays on the whole amount Of his can
ital invested. While the laboring
man makes all profit from his work.
lie stands the same number of hours,
he has no money invested. and he only
pays on his profits, there is the diff
erence of the two. Ii is lighter on
the laboring man, but he has the sat
isfaction of saying 81 am paying nv
way in the world. | am paying for
the privilege of living under a free
flag and under a beautiful govern
ment." So in place Of the employer
giving him five dollar bill. he gives
him four dollars and ninety-five
cents, taking FIVE cents out of the
coupon book. The laboring mans
wages are $4.95 per day. He forgets
about the tax, and the bills do not
bother him. His improvements are
given to him. We will say that he is
a renter-he pays less money under
this system for his property because
1t is free of taxation. Personal prop
erty is also free Of taxation, there
fore, the house that now costs him
twenty dollars a month, under this
new system will only cost him fifteen
dollars a month. If his wages are
fifty dollars a week, he will net
$3.50, losing 30 cents and gaining
five dollars on his house alone. Other
articles and commodities in proper
tion.
The average laboring man receives
IN the neighborhood Of Sl200 to
$500, so under the proposed system
he could not exceed $500 10 $500
yearly tax. While on his rent alone
If he saved $500 per month That
alone would over pay all of his tax.
Aside from all the benefits he would
receive from all other lines of busi-
ness.
So the laboring man has nothing TO
lose and all TO gain. All working
men as a rule are users Of tobacco.
hence all internal revenues would
cease and he would receive large
benefit thereby
Then on whom is this burden fall
ing? The burden is falling on the
middle class directly and on the la
boring class indirectly. The middle
class are paying the big burden I'm
der the presnt mode Of taxation, we
have quite a time TO raise our taxes.
The poor old real estate horse has
been bled white, and we have started
into personal property. Now comes
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