The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-02-11
Appropriations and Taxes.

cal campaigns will be the subject of
taxation. other issues will be swept
away by the tide.
While there have been gross ex-
cesses chargeable to the Wilson ad-
ministration, the public will no
doubt applaud the defense of Inspec-
tor Dawes in the sale of supplies to
the French government. The New
York Herald especially has made a
bitter attack on the Administration
fer extravaganza. Much of this is
unjust and Inspector Dawes does not
split hairs in telling about it.
His vocabulary is unique. | sup
pose the quotations will be expunged
from the record. The newspapers
generally have criticised the Admin
istration for being so profligate with
public funds. The people made this
campaign issue. They always do
when there is movement to increase
the taxes. No party can outlive tax
burden. But Mr.. Dawes has been
looking on at the bulldozing tactics
until he became disguised, and when
the committee sought to draw him
out they got more than they bar
gained for. This paper does not take
| to the idea of heavy taxation. 1t is
not democratic. 1t is a burden upon
the farmer There is tendency to
discourage farming, The burden
grows and the farmer deserts the
rural localities and the farm. Final
ly the country is reduced to tenantry
and then the chasm between the rich
and the poor sets up royalty. There
is a military cast also in league with
the royal line and poverty spreads
over the land. Finally some such
leeches as Lenine and Trotzky seize
the reins and the high heads go to
the gutter.
Now, don't get us in wrong. If
taxes were borne equally 'twould be
a different matter, but the big cor
porations and controlling interests
pass their taxes on to the consumer
Federal income, State and all-and
the final analysis is that every per-
son who buys food or clothing pays
the tax. The farmer has no come
back He is not able to assess his
profits. So he bears the burden of
the tax. 1t is this, with the grossly
inexcusable increase of governing
powers and extravaganza in expendi-
lures, that reduces agriculture, de-
stroys democracy and finally ends in
Bolshevism.
We don't know the cure unless
Congress and the State Assemblies
reverse themselves, or, unless like
our friend, Lowe Shearon, suggests
as follows:
THE A B G OF INDUSTRY.
(a) Managers of industrial en-
terprises should state in advance
rate of compensation with which
they will content themselves just as
do the bondholders, who name an in
terest rate, the preferred stockhold-
ers, who name a dividend rate, and
the employees, who name wage rate.
(b). Risks should be offset by ex-
ira dividends to stockholders limited
to whatever amount may be neces-
sary to induce sufficient investment
of capital in any given enterprise.
(c). All SURPRISES should be pro-
rated among the consumers accord
ing to the amount of their purchases
since they made an enterprise pos
sible by supplying the market for the
thing produced.
These three principles would put
confidence in Industry and spur it to
such efforts as have never been
known before because they are alb
solutely fair to every factor of pro-
duction as we'll as to the entire buy
ing public.