The Colorado statesman., 1921-08-27

Inut IN tut long run II ihlbh' h''
effect upon them.
The plain truth about taxation Is
that the government needs a huse
amount of money to pay the interest
on It's bonds and to pay It's running
expenses. There Is only one way 10
raise this money, and that Is by thA-
alton, except OF course through thrlu'
and some persons maintain that the
tariff Is tax. II follows, therefore,
that unless the expenses of govern
ment are cut, taxation cannot pe cut
1t Is not Uncle Sans fault that pli'S
fall due and IL Is credit, OF COURSE
to his honesty that he wants to pa!
them.
Little Reduction in Sight.
There was n strong belief that tax
alton this year might be cut mnterlai-
ly. 1t is the solid truth today, now
ever, to say that few men In congress
seemingly believe that any great
amount of the burden can be htted.
The chairman of the house committee
on ways and means, Mr.. Fordney, says
that the attempt will be to cut halt
a billion dollars from the tax Dill Oh
next year. His fellow members of the
committee are very much less optimis-
tic, They say that they do not want
TO make any promises because II CHS
appointment shall come the promises
will return to plague them.
All the members Of congress, men,
bers of the minority party as well as
of the majority, seem to be In sym
pnthy with the proposal to repeal the
transportation taxes, those when MT
freight as they hit the passenger Dy
land and sea. When man travels To-
day he not only pays good deal more
for his straight ticket than he did
a few years ago. but he has TO pay
tax in addition, and as Americans
like to travel. this form of taxation
has been felt keenly.
It has been said that the taxes COL
lected each year from the passengers
and the freight shippers amount to
considerably more than one-third OF
billion dollars. OF course If this tax
If lifted the third of billion dollars
must be raised In some other way ana
as yet no specific plan for doing 1t has
developed. 1t seems likely today that
only part of the transportation tax
will be lifted.
The government is going to save
some money this year through econ
omy In the administration of the de-
partments. Through the efforts of the
budget commission, and of the con-
gressional committee plus non
congressman who is Its chairman
and which Is charged with the work
of reorganizing the departments, the
chances seem to be that several num-
dred millions of dollars will be saved.
Expenses Increase Yearly.
The trouble is, however, that the
government is growing all the time
and that its ordinary expenses In
crease from year to year. Therefore
it seems that If the saving Will Offset
the legitimate increase arising from
the growth of the government, 1t will
do about all that it can be expected
to do. OF course it is a saving never
theless.
The army will not cost rs much as
It did last year, nor will the navy cost
quite as much, but the sea service VIII
come pretty near to equaling its last
wears expenditures. Congress as
whole. Democrats and Republicans to-
gether, agreed that the navy should be
maintained at close to its last years
efficiency, while congress as whoie
seemed perfectly willing that the army
should be cut so materially that today
army officers fear the service actually
will be crippled badly.
Society Hopes for Princes.
Washington actually has started
preparing for the disarmament and
Far East conference which Is to
open here some time in the gray month
+ of November. 1t is long time
in advance, and yet already hotels
are being requested to make reserva-