The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-01
srrnISC rmE uvArrAiNAnLr.

scored heavily when hc pointed our that h,
iaw n enacted. woId either serve 10 drive
hundreds of corporations out OF the state or
vastly Increase The price Of oil derivatives 20 uItl-
mate tpnsumora.
In theory this Initiated measure ls 20 pny the
ey-s'ryice men round sum o' $50. 900 600
Without adding TO the tax burions of a great
majority of the ciizou1 Of tho state. th. money
20 ao collected from certain corporations and
locations necessarily small In number whom
compared 10 The whole citizenship, aaid cor.
poratious aud vocatlons bong generally hold
up as acquiring profits at the expense OF the
people.
Tho very conception Of tho proposed legsla-
ton IL vlciousy clasa end crlmlnolly prciudiced
II IL constructed on the theory that II ls pos
g.ble TO collect a tax that cannot bo passed ON
TO the ultimate consumer and thus 10 made
general doctrine uttcry false, yet loanlng It.
self admirably 10 the domagogue In politics
It le scientific truth that II money is to be
taken from tho utility corporations-gas CON
Germs, telephone telegraph. railroads and ex-
press companies. tho producers ana rcfncrs OF
oil. miners OF coal. etc. these iuterests
must first secure the money from somo other
source. Where. then is It to bo had2 From
1t Is equally a scientific fact--and we say
scientific. because it Ia demonstrable-that all
such concerns are now operating under a fixed
budget with the sole exception Of oil producing
and refining concerns ana even these to - cor
tain extent That Is to say, the utility concerns
have all been granted higher rates within tho
last few months. that they may be enabled to
meet their fixed charges and realize the mini
mum earning power srants them by tho state
law.
II tho gas companies 10 he required to
pay gross tax OF per cent the Increase IN
rates necessary to accumulate such an addi-
tionol fixed charge cannot be escaped Thus
the ultimate consumer. Just common people
Will supply the means for paying tho soldier
bonus. There is no escape from this conse-
quence. II the railroad concerns In tho state
are taxed per cent on tho gross income the
public must supply the funds with which TO
meet this charge. This means higher freight
and passenger rates. Identically the Same thing
is true in the case OF all public utility concerns
THE MONEY MUST BE REALIZED EITHER
ny COLLECTING HIGHER RATES FROM
THE PEOPLE OR BY a REDUCTION IN
THE WAGE PAID LABOR, OR BY BOTH
METHODS.
That the proposed tax against oil producers
ANA refiners would result in tragic consequences
every thinking man must admit. Oklahoma IL
the commonwealth where independent oil re-
filming and marketing first realized success
There are scores OF such concerns in this state
employing In the aggregate millions OF dollars
OF capital ana thousands OF laboring men II
is notorious fact that these concerns have
been experiencing great difficulty in meeting
existing conditions, some Of them barely mnnag-
ing to keep their heads above water Add to
thom per cent gross burden and the bank
rupt courts would he burdened in those cases
where they could not take themselves beyond
tho Jurisdiction OF such vlciously destructive
law.
And as much is true OF thousands OF oil op-
orators who would be bankrupt outright by the
necessity OF paying per cent on their Eross
Who would suffer with those interests1 Every
man. woman and child In the state because one
OF the most prolific and profitable sources OF
employment would be curtnilcd to the vanlRh-
Ing point what would It profit the ex-soIdier
TO get his state bonus-a mere meal ticket for
80 days IN most cascs--if his steady fob went
out No the meal ticket came in And what would
# profit his friends and his relatives II as con.
sequence Of that ptIful meal ticket. tholr own
living costs were increased substantially
A hundred million dollars. nor nfty million.
nor yet one million, nor one thousand, can he
taken from any class OF citizens IN this state
without the entire resources and activities OF the
state feeling the touch. Money cannot be
grabbed out IN the air. It must be taken from
the total wealth OF political unit, and the
total wealth and total citizenship win feel the
burden, Tho one way TO avoid this consequence
is open confiscation method specifically pro-
hIhited by tho constitution. hut even such a
method would entail consequences upon the
total population OF most tragic nature
Mr. Smith Is entirely right IN recognizing this
soldior-bonus proposal as a mere opening wedge
for fun program OF soclast-reconstructlon
league class legislation OF a most vicious and
destructive nature. As such Il ought 20 meet
the united opposition OF an men regardless o,
their vocation or political at,liauons-except-
ing those who are avowcdly seeking the class
revolution 80 dear to the heart OF the reds.
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CAUSE FOR CONTEMPLATION.