Evening journal., 1921-12-08
REDUCTION OF
SURTAXLAUDED
Underhill Shows Meaning
To Labor and Revival of
Prosperity
HAVE PROVED
GREAT DETERRENT

WASHINGTON. Dec. S.--Defense
of the lowered taxation rates in the
revenue bill as a means OF enhanc-
ing business and prosperity is made
by Representative Underhill OF
Massachusetts. in a speech in which
he explains its benefit TO labor and
60 industry in general. He says;
Il am not going 20 appeal TO pre-
judices, but to offer an appeal for
the millions of unemployed through
out the length and breadth Of this
country because Of the system OF
taxation with which we have bur
dened the employer. Business is the
biggest gamble in the world. You
have got a better chance at Monte
Carlo or at the race track than you
have in business. Ninety-three per
cent. Of all the people engaged in
business In this country fail. I want
to appeal TO gentlemen on that side
OF the House. most of whom have a
professional training and have a
professional view Of this question.
The business man is not always con-
cerned in the amount OF money he
Is going to make in his business but
frequently has the good OF the COM
munity at heart. He desires TO see
his business grow; he has a certain
pride in achievement, and unless you
can make this gamble at least So
SO proposition, he is not going to
continue along those lines He is in
vtsting today In tax-exempt securi-
ties and going out OF business and
out OF employment not because the
securities are tax exempt, but be
cause tRe securities are the only safe
investment that he can make. May
l bring to your attention one in
stance. One Of the members Of this
body when he was elected to the
House sold everything he had in the
way of business activities and in
vested in industrials, which he sup
posed were good investments. There
is not one Of those stocks today that
is paying a dividend. although when
he made his investment every one
Of them was paying dividends, and
he had reasonable assurance that
they would continue to do so, but
through the withdrawal OF financial
support they have been Obliged to
suspend both production and divi-
dends You seldom hear of a lawyer
Ealing. he gets his fees, he knows
what his income is going to be from
year to year, but the business man
does not know from year to year
whether he is going to fail or be sue
cessful. This year he makes $4,000
and next year he may lose $4,000
The business man Is not so con
servative that he Is not willing tc
take chance. but ho Is unwilling tc
take chance II every time he makes
dollar the Government takes
away from him and does not recog
nize him when by hard work ant
Industry he has built up his bust
ness and furnished employment
We have a concrete illustration Ii
Russia. The very thing you ar
. tterfpting here has been IN force
ln~Rbssia for the last three or foui
years. They started out to tax,
the wealth of tn ecountry; they
started out 10 soak the rich man
When they got all the rich men had
they turned to tho railroads and to
industries. and they 'ook those away
After exhausting them there was
but one thing left, and that was the
farmers, and what was the result IN
Russia Every man in the country
threw up his hands in despair and