The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-15
SLASHING OF
TAXES FOUND
SLOW WORK
Evidence Of Governments S In
tenticn To Ee Economical
Abundant But Result Neg
ligible-Relief Far Off.
DISARMING ONLY HOPE
BY MARK SULLIVAN

l.
The Republican answer to the clamor
for reduction of taxes is that they
never promised to reduce taxes. They
quote the language of their platform
adopted at Chicago d yer ago this
week. 1t said:
The burden of taxation imposed
upon the American people is stagger-
ing, but in presenting true state
ment of the situation we must face
the fact that while the character of
the taxes can and should be changed,
an early reduction of the amount of
revenue to be raised is not to be ex-
pected"
This is perfectly good official an
swer and those among the Republican
leaders who rely on it do so with
straight forward sincerity. But. as
the Republican politicians who gath
cred here for the meeting of the Ma
tional committee last week, expressed
it, this is no good as a practical an
swer.
Think of Campaign
They say that next year, when they
are electing a new congress and when
they are charged with failure to re-
duce government expenditures. it
won't help them any on the stump to
read those words from the platform
and prove that they made no promise.
Congressman James W. Good, of
Iowa, who knows the financial situa-
ton Of the government as well as any
| body, and is just retiring as chairman
of the appropriations committee, ex-
pressed the sound view of the
practical politician when he said:
THE Republican administration must
make a big reduction in government
expenditures with consequent lifting
| of oppressive war taxes, or it will be
swept out of power
Know the Need.
That is what the Republican poll
/ ticians know, and that is what troubles
| them. They know the need. but they
cannot find the way to meet that need
I The fact is that some of The best in
formed and most responsible leaders
in congress and in the senate are in
clined to the belief and the fear that
when the end of the session has come
! ii will be found that there are more
| taxes instead of less.
| There is plenty of economy entirely
/ earnest in intention and performance
/ but relatively negligible in amount
when one cabinet member releases II
! lawyers who are drawing $4,000 a
year each, that is economy But $780,.
600 year is small matter in a
budget whose total is about fifty
thousand times 100000. The re-or.
ganization of government departments
Will achieve some economy, but that
too, will be relatively small in
amount. Also, in spite of the impetus
which the administration is Just nov
putting behind the scheme of re
/ organization, that process will be slow
in coming to fruit
Opposition Stronger.
! The opposition to organization is not
as conspicuous as the energy that is
being brought forth in favor of it, but
! the aggregate of this opposition is moi
to be ignored. Every clerk and every
bureau chief who feels a vested inter
est in his particular job has each q
congressman who is sympathetic tC
him, and the aggregate of the pressure
that dislocated government employees
can bring on congress is formidable.
i Sooner or later ruthless vigor viii
be required of the administration tc
put IIiio lCNOSilltlOQ IL. 1t may
we'll be that the end of the session viii
have arrived before it is finally &C
complished
}, Meantime, those leaders who are di
rectly responsible for raising money
do not see much real hope of decreas
, ed taxation. The form of it NAV bt
: changed. but the total burden is no
: likely to be decreased.
Oppose Sales Tax.
: few of these leaders still believe
the sales tax will come. They bas,
that belief on the theory that the gov
: eminent have the money. But an &C
! curate picture of the prevailing senti
ment of congress on this point woult
have to record. at the present time
: overwhelming opposition to the sale
: tax.
The only big opportunity for redue
: ing taxes lies in reducing armaments
r and we are now far enough along t
make it fairly certain that no furthe
material reduction in our expenditure
for armament will occur during TIL
present session. The bulk of tn
members of congress would like t
make the reduction, but they don
want to do it until such time as the
can get assurances from the Presiden
that their action does not embarras
him
Copyright 1921 by the New Yor
Evening Post, Inc)