Evening journal., 1919-02-06
Defends States Part in
Filling War Contracts

But let us say, II you please, that the
roads Will cost $4,000 a mile. Della
ware. as a pacifer such as is given cIy-
ing infants to soothe them when they
are hungry. is allowed sil7.7ls. which,
think, at $4,000 a mile, will build
her about 20 miles Of road. Now. Mr..
President, Delaware contributes TO this
fund OF s275,O0O,OOO internal revenue
taxes OF s32, ,9iS, 7ss o. Delaware contrib
utes more toward this fund than do
these nine States that have mentioned.
They contribute s29.9s5, ,9i356. Delaware
contributes s32,983.3s327. She contrib
utes nearly three million dollars more
than do these nine States; but when
1t comes to dividing the money, these
nine States take S35, ,i35. .46i.2i, and hand
Delaware si4T9is9i. Delaware con
tributes 100000 more than they do.
but they get so times as much. Illinois
~ times as much as they do. and they
set nearly three times as much as she
does. Ohio contributes 10 times as
much as they do, and they get nearly
three and half times as much as she
roes. Massachusetts, contributes six
times as much as they do and they take
over three and a half times as much as
she does. | could not run my figures
beyond that, because it was then time
for me to inroduce my amendment
Let me say that If my amendment
is written into this law ! am not sure
then that / viii vote for IL. but do say
this-that viewing It as l do. as a con-
tribution to the States, a gift and moth
ing more than a gift to subserve a State
and local purpose, when we come 10
contribute the Federal money for that
purpose, let us pay some attention, at
least to the extent OF a fourth OF IT,
TO the proposition that the States that
give the bulk Of the taxes ought TO get
back their proportionate share OF II, to
the extent Of one-fourth Of what is
given"
Mr.. Johnson OF S. D. According 10
your doctrine, it would be poor en-
couragement for the western country
which has built up such States as Del
aware to continue along that line"
Mr.. Wolcott. Delaware is thriving
pretty we'll"
Mr.. McKellar. 'Mr. president, know
the Senator from Delaware is an abso-
lutely fair man. and. as he said while
ago, even a generous man. He men
toned Tennessee"
Mr.. Wolcott. Not disparaginsly."
Mr.. Mcclellan. "Not at all; and !
thank the Senator, and ] am not men
tioning Delaware dsparagingly al all.
II Is a great State However. ! just
wanted to call the Senator's attention
10 this fact-that while Il is true that
a powder plant was built by the gov
ernment near Nashville, In Tennessee,
that one corporation Of Delaware. that
corporation that built the plant, made
enough in profits 10 pay all OF this tax.
nearly, ] imagine-nearly all OF Il;
quite a large amount OF this tax, any
how; you ought to be generous about
IT,"
Mr.. Wolcott. Il defy the Senator to
establish that proposition. AS a mat
ter Of fact, that corporation built that
powder plant without a dollar Of profit.
According 20 the last contract ] saw,
they offered to build II, undertook TO
build 70, without making a dollar o.
profit; II they operated u they were 10
be compensated. That was the contract
as ! saw Il, but they never got TO
operate it."
I Mr.. McKellar. Il have always under
stood that the compensation was pret-
/ ty generous for war times. and this
Delaware corporation probably can get
along and pay the tax even including
the tax on roads. and ] am quite sure
that Il will be fair and just and equi-
4 table,"
Mr.. wolcot. "Mr. President, l am
not complaining OF any tax that any
i Delaware corpo alton pays, nor is any
/ Delaware corporation complaining. II
I is not a question Of taxation at all.
"The Delaware corporation to which
the Senator refers is not involved In
| this thing at all. and assert that the
Senator, before he makes the statement
that he does respecting the operation
Of that corporation in the State Of Ten
nessee, ought TO have the facts before
him, and when he gets them here,
shall be prepared 10 make il clear 10
any man who is open to reason that
! that corporation has been the most pa
! trlotic and most effective corporation
In the United States Of America dur
/ ing this war"