Arizona republican., 1921-07-22
COREY SAYS UNCLE SAM MUST PAY !
 BILLIONS \ YEAR
Rx Herhart Corey

of some of the eminents on The Hill it is the only sure one: Americans must raise larger fam lilies. They must work harder. They must increase their foreign and do mestic trade
 This is the theory: There are now approximately 110.000,O00 people in the United States who are called on to pay a bill of four to five billion dollars annually in taxes. Topping off odd figures and dealing in round numbers that means that the average American must pay $50 year to the support of his government for the next twenty five years. Carter Glass. the Democratic financial authority of the senate, says so. Reed Shoot the Republican financial authority of the senate, says so.
 Can Be No Tax Reduction There isn't a chance for tax re- duction for the next quarter of a century," both men say.
 But-and here is the superb beauty of the thought which prefaces this article-if we can boost the popula- ton of the United States to 100000 900 and do not increase our expendi- lures. we can cut the per capita an- nual payment of taxes to $25 It is lovely idea. It is even finer when one examines into it more closely. for by the time the 200, 0,000, ,000 point has been reached we will have been so thoroughly acclimated to tax pay | ing that we will no doubt have another war Then the good old rate will skallyhoot skyward again. We have lost control of ourselves say the two experts quoted, although not in these identical words. The people of the United States are de- manding everything from the govern ment and do not seem to take into account that they are the ones who | must ultimately walk up to the cap | tain's window and pay for passage. We used to cry about a billion dollar | -a-year government. Now it is a four or five billion dollar government, and | it does not promise ever to be less. |" I Glass Is Not Consulted
 Shoot says he lies awake nights | over it. Glass says he would lie awake if he had any actual responsi- bility for the tax rate making. But | he hasn't, he says. His Republican 1 friends do not even take him into l consultation. They do not permit him to come anywhere near the sacred | edifice in which next years bill of I costs is being prepared for presenta- | tion to the American people. About all he will have to do. in common with other Americans, is to pay the l. tax Dlil when preSenIoQ-
 The trouble is, as Smoot says and as Glass agrees-and there is no dis sent in any prominent quarter that l have heard of-that the people will not let the costs of government be reduced. Every now and then a lit- l tie economy is inaugurated. The size of the army was cut down and a few posts on tile Mexican border will be eliminated. The naval appropria- tions have been lessened. General H. and M. Dawes is at work on a budget which may simplify work in the departments, perhaps scale down few appropriations, and in general reduce expenses somewhat. But the moment dollar is saved a pack of wolf-hounds set on it's trail.
 Billion A Year for Interest
 Some of the greater items of cost cannot be reduced. We must pung1e up a billion dollars annually as in- terest on debts, and for the time being America is paying the inter- est on the $10.000, 100000 loaned the allies during the war. No one knows , what the shipping board may cost We have the ships: we cannot get rid of them, and we have not the heart to gather them off Hampton Roads and set fire to the mess. The I disabled veterans must be cared for l WnlCn DlGdHS several IlllllOI . dollars. The army and navy art 2 costing more today than the whole cost of government operations before the war.
 Then there are the new schemes Many of them are worthy, but tn, point is that they must be paid for and they can only be paid for by tax ation. The soldiers bonus will gt through-every one agrees on that | fx-<~ to five billions. Smoot thinks tha in seven years the government vii be paying service pensions. So doe Glass. ss Neither of them take tn slightest interest in the glowing idea advanced from time to time by opti mists to the effect that governments costs are to be cut down by stric economies.
 Taxes may be redistributed," sai, Glass. ''but they will not be de creased. The danger is that tn weight of taxes may be taken off tn people who can afford to pay then and will be heaped upon the littl man who can not"
 How Congressmen Work It
 It isn't worth while damning con gress for this. either. It is a pleas ant occupation, of course, and n doubt congress is heartily wort
 
 are elected instead of born to thei
 jobs they will cast a human eye to
 ward the men who vote for then
 Someone once said that the ma
 who wants a dollar always work
 harder than the man who merel fears that a dollar may be take
 away from him. One communit
 wants government help for goo
 roads. No doubt that communit
 should get it. The next wants a ne
 postoffice. No doubt the postoffic
 is needed. The congressional repre-
 sentatives of the two communitie
 get together with the other men wh
 want good roads and postoffices an
 the meritorious programme goe
 through with cheery whoop.
 Of course, there are more peep
 who pay taxes than there are peep
 to whom taxes are paid. ~But $
 long as the taxpayers are not orgar
 ized so that their weight can be fe
 at the polls. just so long the tax raj
 will mount. The only way out is
 raise more babies, start 'em workir
 earlier, get more business, and
 general increase the country's ta,
 productive power
 Then we can again increase the ts