Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-15
CLAYMONT LEAGUE
STARTS MOVEMENT
TO LOWER TAXES
Continued from page 1,

raordinary appropriations This is [
rational taxation, and 1t would seem 10
he part OF prudence and Justice 10 (
he tax payer, In such times, that .
state, county and municipal taxation
should be curbed and reduced TO the
most reasonable and conservative
basis OF economy, In order not to over
burden and exhaust the taxi payer OF
both operating capital and credit. But
history shows, that In suck times, a
recklessness In making appropria-
tions and the creation of many new
officers to administer and dis
pense tho funds, operates like an in |
lection in every department OF muni- |
clpal. county and state governments. |
until, from an economic standpoint
the aftermath OF war is worse than
the war
"This is our deplorable situation to-
day.
Taxes are Heavy.
"The combined results OF unusual
and heavy taxes by national and local
governments, have produced paraly-
sis of business and n condition Of un-
employment that IL too serious 20
permit OF delay In seeking a remedy.
High taxes advanced rents. forced
up the overhead Of the store, the fac
tory, the mine, the farm and the rail-
road. and laborers, employees and Of
hcials in general demanded more
wages and salaries to meet the IN
creased cost OF living, and 4 was ac-
corded as a matter Of necessity.
'All these increased taxes, rents.
| tolls wages and charges are neces-
sarily added in on the price of every
commodity produced, until today. the
price tag ls 80 high and money so
scarce. that few buy anything they
can do without; factories. in most
cases, are at a standstill. millions OF
| laborers are idle, there is little COM
merce. the farmer is confronted with
a falling and negligible market for
his grain and produce, the Taxpayer
is In distress 90 find funds to meet the
many tax gatherers. many are Offering
their homes for sale 10 AVOID the tax.
and generally the cry is going up How
shall we find jobs for the 1obless?'
Officials. the press and tho public are
proclaimlng the necessity of tax re-
ductlon.
I'VE must now prove ourselves a
capable and self-governing people.
we must begin TO undo the trouble
at it's source.
we must start the return to nor.
malcy by reducing every possible form
OF taxation. so that the price tag may
lower and the general cost of living
may be reduced with it; that com
modities may cheaper 10 the point
where people win begin 20 buy. so that
the factory and the farm may find a
demand for their products, that labor
may find employment in producing
this is the way to find jobs for the
joblesH; this is the way to start up by
certain progressive degrees, the
factory and the farm and make bust.
ness for laborer. builder. merchant
banker and transporter.
An official government report put,
the loss TO. unemployed labor at nj,
and n quarter billions Of dollars pei
year. and leading New York dali,
paper has thoughtfully suggested tina
u. . is not the whole story, that tn,
tools those idle men. would otherwis
M~.k with. the materials they woul,
ia. the power and light they woult
consume. must all go into the accoun
: and make the total bill about eigh
billions dollars. or twice the amour
, we are trying TO raise annually b,
, taxation 10 liquidate the war debt an.
[ operate the government. These vii
: ling but idle men are a part Of ou
. national housekeeping. We canno
: afford from an economic standpoint
, and aside from our syInpathies 10
them and their families, TO have ther
4 idle.
q Radical Changes Needed.
There IL no way TO correct thes
startling conditions. except by som
: radical change. There Is not enoug
r free money in the country or in tn
world to meet such conditions. Nor
taxes won't solve the problem, the
viii only make it worse. Put take
higher and the whole industrial an
business structure will go to smasf
The two great troubles with tn
country today are excessive taxes an
4 high prices.
| Il
Reserve Bank. has stated that Fedora
taxes alone on the average tamliy Q
FIVE have jumped from s33 per yea
@ before the war TO S215 per year no"
President Harding in his message
calling attention to the necessity 0
reducing the National expenditure
and Iessening the excessive Federa
!. taxes, also pointed to the exorbitan
z state. county and municipal appro
,, priations that have prevailed genef
n ally. and have forced up local take
= to unreasonable rates. and suggeste
! that while the Federal governmer
e was -ithout power TO remedy thes
e state and local conditions, It shoui
n at least, by example. encourage IN
state and local authorities to reduc
. and retrench on appropriations an
:. consequent high. taxes.
= "Ex-Goyernor Miller OF this stat
= at the recent Convention of the sta
Bankers Association, called .attentio
- 70 the lack of proper organization
: the handling Of the states problem
X OF revenue and expenditures, an
$. suggested that we have in the neigl
pr borhood of one hundred and twent
h v .rd commissions and other office
fe and public agencies, each with its ov
It. offices, office force and equipment
l. be cared for at public expense, al
I'd many OF them could be abolished
.d proper organization.
SO