The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-06
WESTERN STATES
DESERVING AID
Internal Revenue COL
lections Ten Times
Loan Desired

WASHINGTON.-If congress can
be prevailed upon to pass the Borah
bill authorizing the loan Of two
hundred fifty million dollars to build
new irrigation projects in the west,
the total amount involved would
be" slightly more than the irrigation
states now pay into the federal treas
ury in single year as internal rev.
enue taxes; most of this amount is
paid in the form of income taxes
and taxes on profits of business cor
porations.
Revised figures issued by the COM
missioner of internal revenue show
ing the internal revenue taxes col
lected during the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1920, show that the recla-
nation states contributed a total of
two hundred twenty-seven million
four hundred fifty-four thousand
the government would loan for the
dollars, This is almost as much as
building of irrigation works in those
states, the loan to be strung out over
a period of ten years and ultimate
ly to be refunded. In other words,
under the Borah bill slightly more
than 10 per cent of the internal
revenue taxes paid by the people of
the west during the next decade
would be loaned by the government
for the building of irrigation works.
The report of the commissioner of
internal revenue does not show the
collection of taxes by states, but by
districts, but the following table will
give collections from the west during
the fast fiscal year.
District Total.
First California, in
cluding Nevada. .-.$t29,527S66.69
Sixth California ....-. 50,221,838.95
Colorado, including
Wyoming = ......,.,- 39,569, 1861
Montana, including
Idaho and Utah 20,757,741.02
New Mexico, includ-
ing Arizona 49, s,396,2S3.30
North and South Da-
kota =. ....... 9,541,6S3.55
Oregon =. .............-.. 27,264,123.86
Washington, includ-
ing Alaska :. ....,..- 42,179,s55.5s
1t is true that large part of the
revenue collected by the government
now must necessarily be devoted to
paying war obligations and the
amount of money left for internal
is necessarily restrict
ed, but a review of the appropria-
tions bills passed by congress in re-
cent years shows that the west has
had the direct benefit of only very
small percentage of the moneys
which it's citizens have paid as in
come and other federal taxes, and
the loan of twenty-five million dol
lars year for ten years would still
leave the government vastly indebt-
ed to the west,
A campaign that is now under way
in the west to create sentiment ia
vorable to the Borah or some SINH
lar bill, will result in a drive in con-
gress at the coming short session.
The time will not be particularly ap-
perfume, however, as any legislation
to which there is serious objection
rarely passes during short session.
If the Borah bill should fail to pass
before March 4, it would have to be
reintroduced in the new congress,
and it is certain there will be spe-
cial session called by the president
soon after he takes office, whether
he be Mr.. Cox or Mr.. Harding.
Now that the soldier bonus bill Is
dead beyond recall, the west must
make it's fight on it's own bill unless
it should be decided by western dele
cations to combine with the south
in an effort to secure the enactment
of bill which will provide for the
reclaiming of swamp lands as well
as the arid lands of the west.