Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-21
HOOVER GETS A BITE

CECRETARY Herbert Hoover
- has been telling the producers
that they can never hope to get
production back on a pre-war basis
even if they were able to deflate
labor to a pre-war basis, and reduce
other elements in the cost of pro-
duction, because increased taxes
must be collected in the increased
cost of the commodity to the con-
sumner. He says that these in
creased taxes since the war come
to about six billion dollars annual
ly. This includes the increase in
all taxes, federal, state, county,
city and school districts. The esti-
mate of increased cost seems low
enough to US. On the basis of a
hundred million population that
would be an average of $50 per
capita in increased taxes. 1t used
to be figured that one in five of the
population was a producer. The
last census showed a big change in
social conditions. Now many girls
and boys are w~age-earners and pro-
duce service for which they are
paid. Taking one in three as being
engaged in %gainful occupation and
supporting themselves or others, it
would appear that the average in
crease in the cost of living caused
by higher taxes to those who are
engaged in producing goods or
services is about $3.50. Mr.. Hoover
has presented it in another light.
He says it amounts to about 20 per
cent on the cost of production and
distribution, and that we cannot get
rid of it because it is paying u
share of the cost of the war and
will 60 on for a generation.
We do not entirely agree with
Mr.. Hoover in this view, because
we believe that a considerable part
of the money we are now raising
by taxes could be saved by the
exercise of rigid economy, but MI.
Hoover that we will have
to go on raising substantially the
same sum of money by taxation
that we now raise in that way. He
proposes to offset this increased
cost of living by an equal saving
made in the cost of production and
distribution through the standard
ization of production, and the elm
'ination of the cost due to many
different variations of products.
For instance, if automobiles could
be standardized, so that there were
not more than half a dozen differ
ent styles and qualities of cars
made the cost of production would
be largely reduced. In many lines
Of production that Standardization
has already been effected. Bolts
and nails illustrate the point.
A bulletin from the National
Lumber Manufacturer association
recently received, says: "The ma
tional trade associations-some
three hundred in number-have not
been so prompt to cooperate with
Secretary Hoover of the depart
mert Of commerce in his program
of simplification Of industry and
elimination of waste through their
organizations, as had been hoped,
but an acceleration of progress is
expected from an unusual move
made by the National Lumber
Manufacturers association, ON
prising practically all of the soft
wood lumber producers of the
United States. This association has
asked Secretary Hoover's advice
and approval in the launching OF
the most comprehensive trade re-
organization scheme ever under
taken by an American industrial as
ISOLATION. and he has called a series
of conferences relating to it. be-
ginning Monday, May 70.
THE lumber manufacturers pro-
pose nothing less than the complete
Standardization Of the product of
their mills in the simples and most
ineligible possible manner. Not
only that, but they propose that
every board made by a member of
the National Lumber Manufacture
ers' association shall be branded
with its grade, quality. kind, ETC.,
together with some mark that will
identify the manufacturer. The
industry purposes to administer
and be responsible for the new sys-
TEN of grading. and after it is
adopted will stand between the con-
sumner and the producer in respect
to complaints or misunderstanding
.~;e;oo from ou~estions If grades.