The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-12-24
PROBLEM OF TAXES
I'd. EHARI ES Al IA I'll Icy !

Congress meets for the short SEES
sion with a multitude of veXing prob
lens pressing for attention. There
are grave social and economic ills
that too long have been neglected.
There are industrial and commercial
problems that result from maIadJust-
ments inevitable following the war.
There are questions of taxation ana
revenue. There are appeals of the
special groups demanding preferen-
tial treatment. There is sufficient to
keep reasonably active and mod
erately intelligent body busy for
many months.
But Congress isn't going to solve
these probems-not many of them.
1t isn't even "oing to try and solve
them. 1t is going to pass appropria-
ton bills and make an effort to Sc
cure sufficient revenue to keep the
government on a basis of war eX-
penditures in time of peace. And if
any time remains it is to be devoted
to the requirements of business. This
is to be a business session, the lead
ers proceeding on the theory that if
business men can be kept prosperous
and contented all other questions will
solve themselves automatically.
About the only attention the public
is to get will be when revenue meas
ures are being considered. Business
insists that income and profit taxes
are doing something to them that
they don't relish and must be re-
pealed. Congress wouldn't lose any
time in meeting this request were it
not for the fact that several billions
of dollars must be raised to meet APP
preparations. Many programs have
been prepared, but the one most ia
vored is that which provides that the
consumer shall foot the bills. Sen
ator Smoot, who is faithful servitor
of the interests, cynically states that
the consumer, in any event, pays the
taxes, and wants to know why there
should be any reluctance in apprais-
ing him of that fact. A per cent
tax on sales, he thinks, will be just
about the proper thing. And what
Senator Smoot says is always what
the interests are thinking. He doesn't
enjoy the reputation of being a finan-
cial wizard for no reason.
We may have been long time get
ting around to it, but we are now at
a point where the burdens of war
are to be transferred to the backs
and the bellies of the people. The
war profiteer finds that it is not so
easy as formerly to enrich himself
SO he wants to keep what he has got.
Whether he got it honestly or other
wise makes no material difference.
He wants the people to carry the
load, because they are used to it.
They'll grumble a bit, of course, but
they always do it. They are hard
to please, no matter what is done. If
taxes are high, they grumble, and if
they are low, they grumble just the
same. That is the way Senate,
Smoot and other interest servitors
look at it. So why not give them
something to grumble about? A 8
per cent tax on pork and beans,
calico and cucumbers, cigarettes and
candy-everything they use, eat and
wear. That'll be just about enough
to cover the cost of maintaining the
government and leave the profiteers
out of the tax reckoning.
Every congressman and Senator
does not favor sales tax. Many of
them bitterly oppose it. But they
also opposed subsidy to the rail
roads and huge expenditures for mill
tarism and it didn't get them any
where. The interests have the votes
when the roll is called, and if it is
deided that the sales tax is the thing,
then a sales tax it is going to be.
And no amount of protest, no amount
of entreaty, will alter the Congress
sional mind.