The daily times., 1921-07-28
NO HEADWAY IN DRIVE
Principles in the Tax Program
Call for a Repeal of the Ex-
cess Profits Tax, Retprn to
Three Cent Postage, a Cut
ting Down of the Large Sur
taxes, and Sales Tax.
(By David Lawrence).
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily
TimpSl

ImSS
Washington, July 27.-Tax pro-
grams are like timetables subject to
change without notice But certain
principles have been agreed upon by
President Harding and Administra-
tion leaders which can be of some
guidance to tax payers. Those prin-
ciples as explained at the White
House do not necessarily commit
the Administration to cut and dried
procedure which will prevent a
change of mind. In other words moth
ing is final until it is actually in the
bill that passes both houses but so
far as anyone can foresee, indeed the
best Judgment that can be marshalled
at present, leads to the following con-
clusiOnS:
First, the excess profits tax must
be repealed. This action Will be taken
not merely because the revenue from
excess profits has diminished to such
an extent that it compares unfavor-
ably with the immense amount of
damage done to business as a whole
through the restraints placed upon
individual enterprise, initiative and
expansion.
Second, the return to Scent post
age for first class mail. This step
is to be taken reluctantly by the
Ranuhlicap Admin iCtratiop for tho
shrewd Albert Sidney Burleson, post
master general under the Democratic
Admin istration, took off the extra
cent and the fear is that Democratic
campaign orators will point to the
extra postage as a sign that the poor
mans burdens have not been de-
creased but increased. Nevertheless
the Scent tax is favored as great
revenue producer and as the best
means of getting better postal SER
vice Will Hays, the new postmaster
general, is trying to produce an eff
cient postal service and is making
good headway He finds it necessary
to spend money to get efficiency. He
has been told by business men to GO
ahead and incur a deficit but deliver
the mail on time. So the price OF
efficiency is an extra cent on postage
The general opinion is that the stamp
tax will hardly be felt.
! Third, cutting down of the large
surtaxes. The hardest thing in the
world to explain to the average tax
payer is the why and the wherefore
lof a surtax. The income tax blanks
give no inkling as to how the scien.
| tific tax experts devised it and the
tax payer doesn't see any particular
scheme of percentages behind it. The
large surtaxes have however operated
like the excess profits taxes to de,
stroy Initiative at the very time wher
men of capital should be using it to
promte American enterprises, Civ
ing employment to the unemployed
and starting the wheels of business
and industry on the road to soune
and uninflated prosperity. That there
will be dimtnition of large surtaxe:
can be taken for granted.
| Fourth, all the schemes for sale:
tax, turnover tax, production tax OF
consumers tax will go by the boards
That's the trend at present. The Ad
ministration has listened to all th'
various plans proposed and attempted
to find one that Wouldn't increase thu
urden on the ultimate consumer. Th'
suspicion exists that the idea is un
economic and leads in the end tt
double taxation. This is stoutly de
MED but the truth is that the Ad
ministration hasn't been convinced
and the tendency is to forget thes
various sales and consumers take
and try to raise money by othe
means.
President Harding himself has toll
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