The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-11-25

|N W. @ M !
SENATOR WARREN ASKS CONslD-
EN- ALTON OF NEW TAX REFORM.
SAYS PRESENT DEPRESSION II
TRACED TO UNJUST TAXATION OF
OCR PRODUCERS.
(By Francis F. Warren.)
fEditor's Note--Francis T.. Warren
Of wyoming is chairman of the COM
mittee on appropriations for the Uni
ted states senate. AS the nation knows
this means he must he a man of un-
usual ability, CT wide knowledge, OF
koen appreciation OF financial PROP
lens and situations and an expert OF
economies. On kim rests RESPONSE
bility that woull staGger the aVeraSe
man and to him there looks 10O,O0V,O"o
citizens for the wise distribution Of
the vast sums to which they contrib
ute.)
With congress in turmoil over
proposed important changes in our
revenue laws and being swamped
with means of advice from ec"nc mists
real and theoretical--with unfavor-
able business conditions. signs OF de-
preston. stagnation, passing Of diN''
bends, withdrawal of money from in
vestment and failures here and there,
the only clear ray of light is one that
points out the why of the condition
and that why seems to be the present
methods of taxing incomes and excess
profits. methods so drastic that in
naf
confiscation.
Figures, often tricky things at best,
indicate that with $6,500,00O.00o on de-
post in this country distributed among
11,5OO.OOO depositors that every depos-
itor should have $3.50 and every inhab-
liant $S2. On the face of It this may
seem small sum for the average
"free-born American" TO show for. a
period CT toll that may be many years
yet taken in comparison with the av-
erage of only sl5S per depositor in
the worlds figures of savings IT is to
be seen that we citizens OF q. :. A.
did heed the warming. guiding cry Of
war-times, economy, thrift and con-
servation."
With savings depositors TO the num-
Der Of one-tenth of our populations;
with Liberty Bond holders estimated
tc, number between fifteen and twenty
millio less. of course than there
were during and Immediately follow
ing actual war times-we may safely
depend upon the stability of our cor
poration and believe that our Tom
Jcneses and Bill Smiths and other
stockholders are not holding listen
ing ear in the direction of the voices
that preach radicalism, communism. or
some other ism. by whatever name,
that may propose departure from the
safe and sane policies of our govern
ment.
AS Observation-Disclosures. all Of us are
keenly alive to the fact that. in the
interest of coed business and the
smooth running Of our corporate ma
chinery, we must raise money for our
expenses with the least possible dis.
turbance to business progress II we
would attain the highest success.
Much has been said and writer
about the lax scheme in Canada
which has without doubt brought int
the Canadian treasury a huge sum
and apparently no burden has bee,
felt by the taxpayers. Indeed. on
writer referred to the levy as "a pain
less tax" and. II any tax can be truth
fully called painless the sales tax o
Canada seems to Justify the descrip
tion. 1t became effective in May. 1890
and, in it's first year CT operation. levy
ing a rate OF two cents on the dollar
yielded s50,000.000 in revenue. A sim
liar levy in our country would. 1t /
estimated, yield about six hundred mil
lions annually. Without doubt
would be fair to all: would put a pre-
MUM upon economy. and yet coul
not be said to carry any extra fmpo
sition upon the luxuries and extrava
gances of those who do not want t
be economical. The distribution. !
other words would he universal; tn
collection would be economical: chance
lcr dishonesty and evasion would b
minimized.
'But regardless Of the fact that on
own country has already had conside,
able experience with sales taxes g
supposed by the Acts Of 1917 and 1911
the administration of which has bee
satisfactory and successful. thel
seems to be q hesitancy on the pa
Of congress to do away with the one
cult and expensive to collect. and
adopt instead-even on trial-son
sort Of sales-tax plan.
Chambers Ct commerce. business al
commercial organisations OF all sor
throughout the entire country. ~
many individuals generally. have n
vocated the proposition as the most Il
telligent. faireAt. and least cppressi'
Of all forms Of taxation. The indors
ment OF many others would no dou
follow Il moro thught were given
the mass c4 taxpayers to the fact tn
the men Of modest incomes are real
dnally paying the big surfaces Of {