The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-21

penny of it will ever find it's way
back to the treasury.
After the people have been thor
oughly sacked, through the easy
method of having Congress vote APP
preparation bills, the railroads have
another scheme for getting additional
billions. They have their experts
working on rate schedules, with the
idea of asking a horizontal freight
rate increase of 25 per cent. This
will mean practically a billion dol
lars each year in new freight rates
1t will, however, according to rail
road authorities, be reflected in an
increase of commodity costs of near
ly four billions of dollars annually
AS food and clothing pass through
various middlemen, each takes 6
profit and adds freight rate, so il
is unquestioned that every dollar
that the railroads received as trans.
portation charges means not less
than four dollars out of the pockets
of the Consumers.
When congress passed the Cum.
Minis -Esch iniquity, it was notice to
the public that it might prepare fo1
additional gouges. They are com
ing rather sooner than anticipated
The railroads are over-anxious as
well as over-greedy. They need the
money, and they have been unable
to gain the confidence of the bank
ers. The easy facility with which
they have persuaded Congress to
grant exorbitant and unreasonable
demands gives them every reason to
believe that the additional billion
which they now ask will be forth
coming in due session and that there
will be no serious distractions to a
rate increase which will forever be
crushing burden upon the backs of
the people.
Sales Tax Strikes Snag
Wall Street is finding it just bit
difficult to force through it's sales
tax. The country is up in arms
against this proposed impost, which
has for it's object the relief of the
profiteers and the further burdenine
of their victims.
A substitute bill has been au.
thorized, which, according to it's sup
porters, will relieve the "bellies and
backs of the American people OF
the proposed tax and place it on the
pocketbooks of those best able to
bear it." In other words, congress.
men who remain loyal to the people
insist that those who profited from
the war shall assume a fair share OF
it's cost.
Of course, the profiteers are moi
dismayed and they can be expected
to continue their efforts to transfer
war burdens to the people. Those
who made millions in lawful and un.
lawful ways are willing to spenc
some of their gains in influencing
Legislation, even if they are reluct
ant to aid the government in solv.
ing it's financial problems.
The people have had such poor sue.
cess with Congress that it is not
safe to assume that the opposition
which has developed to the proposed
consumption tax will kill it. Wal
Street has been having its way with.
out a single failure to its score
Perhaps it will be able to bring
arguments" to bear that will con.
vince the national legislators that
taxing the people and immunizing
the profiteers is a good thing.
Nevertheless, it is worthy of note
that the people are taking an inter
est intheir affairs, because this may
be accepted as meaning that this
year they will take more interest in
the ballot. The sending of new faces
to Washington is the great and i'm
perative need. The plain people will
not be safe so long as they are rep.
resented by corporation hirelings and
the handy men of privilege.