The Owosso times., 1921-06-03
OwOsSO. MICH. JUNE 8, 1921.
THE CURSE OF HIGH TAXES

washington, May 31.-"In one OF
the most practical and forceful edi-
torials it has published in many
months, the Saturday Evening Post
recently discussed the very appropri-
ate subject of taxation" says the
Republican Publicity Association,
through it's President, Hon. Jonathan
Bourne, Jr. "The Importance of re-
lieving the burden of taxation in gen.
eral and of Federal taxation in par
ticular was pointed out in way that
will impress the minds of all readers.
1t is true as Editor Lorimer says:
Everything is being debated ex-
cept taxes. Everybody is economic
ing except the tax gatherer.'
"As a rule, the tax gatherer is one
of the tax spenders and naturally his
viewpoint impels him to see the ne
cessity of higher rather than lower
taxes. The spender of public money
is impressed with the Importance of
the service for which the money is
spent. He magnifies it's value to the
public and perhaps sincerely believes
that the service should be extended
rather than curtailed. He is a con-
slant booster of taxes. If there is to
be any check on the raising Of pub
lie revenue and it's expenditure the
check must come through the activity
of private citizens who make their
wishes known in a manner that can
not be misunderstood.
"The editor of the Saturday Even
ing Post is hardly correct in his
statement that, Since the beginning
of the world war, legislators in al
most every branch of Government
have been running hog-wild, taxing
and spending, spending and taxing,
1t was not the legislative branch of
the Government that ran 'hog-wild
taxing and spending Records will
show that the President and Mem
bers of his Cabinet during the world
war asked for enormous sums Of
money and for practically unlimited
authority on the representation that
both were necessary for the winning
of the war. With some doubt, Con-
gress granted practically all requests
for money or power, choosing to give
the Administration the benefit Of any
doubt rather than take the chance Of
handicapping those who were charged
with the management of military op-
erations.
"But, as soon as the Armistice had
been signed and it was clear that the
war was over, Congress acted as a
restraining influence upon the exc
cutives. In the first year after the
signing of the Armistice, Congress
cut $1,500,000,000 out of the de-
mands of the executive departments.
In the next year they cut out a bill
lion dollars. The present Congress
has not yet made it's record Of ap-
preparations but there is every indi-
cation that expenditures authorized
will be far less than the amounts re-
of the Government. 1t is unfair and
quested by the administrative branch
we believe the Editor of the 'Satur-
day Evening Post will admit it, on
further reflection, to charge legislat-
ors with responsibility for taxing and
spending Congress is always called
upon to make up deficits which the
executive departments have incurred
in excess of appropriations by Con-
gress.
"But this is a minor matter. On
the whole, the Posts editorial is not
only sound but timely. 1t is true,
as stated, that, high taxes mean loose
methods and e%travagant manage
ment, incompetent planning and
wasteful execution The man who
has other peoples money to spend is
very likely to seek means of spend
ing rather than saving it. A full
treasury is always a temptation, not
only to useful expenditure but USE
less expenditure. An effective means,
therefore, of securing the earliest
possible reduction of taxes is first to
compel the executive departments to
reduce their expenditures and then
cut the revenue SO that there will be
no excess of funds in the Treasury to
tempt Federal officials to incur obli-
cations which the public eventually
must pay"