The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-11
HIGH TAXATION
CAUSING UNREST
VIEW OF DRANE

The Tampa Tribune, in telling of
the visit of Congressman Drane to
Tampa. Wednesday, when he was the
guest of honor of the Tampa Kiwanis
Club, says:
National taxation and federal eX-
penditures was the theme of Repre-
sentative Herbert j. Drane of Lake
land, in an address before the XII
wants Club at its weekly luncheon at
the Hillsboro hotel Tuesday noon.
The congressman was introduced by
H. Mason Smith, chairman of the en-
tertainment committee for the day.
who referred to his as one among
democratic congressman who was
making himself felt in national legis-
lative affairs in the face of strong
opposing majority in a republican
congress.
Linking present industrial unrest
throughout the country with taxation
and the high cost of living, Congress
man Drane said from time immemo-
rial taxation has been a problem be-
fore the people and their governing
bodies, as certain cause for unrest
among the people during the reign
OF Caesar as it is today. We some
times wonder, in taking stock of the
vast resources of our country, why
this feeling of unrest and Industrial
disQuietude should exist. We are
brought to consider the fact that tax
alton and the high cost of living play
their full part. for, after all, the
whole problem comes back to the high
cost of living, and the high cost of
living, while not taxation by process
of law, is taxation nevertheless.
Leaders in both parties of the ma
tional governmental bodies are di-
recting their efforts to lowering fed
eral expenditures. Some idea OF the
vastness of the problem before them
can be gained when we realize that
the interest on our public debt today
is greater than the total expenditures
for any year prior to 1914. Two years
ago government expenses approximate
ed six billion dollars; last year the
total reached four billion. and this
year the republicans set out to hold
national expenses below four billion
but, with the year little more than
half spent, an expense bill of above
four and three-quarter billion has
been piled up.
apparently every effort is being
made on the part of leaders to cut
national expenses to the bone, but
men who have spent the better part
of their lives in congress have failed
to find the solution. Certainly wiser
heads than mine have failed to find
the method of bringing expenditures
back to normal.
Stating it as a fact based on COM
parisons, Congressman Drane de-
clared that the first congressional dis
trict of Florida was at this time the
most blessed and prosperous part OF
the whole earth. The state of Flor
ida as whole is peculiarly blessed
for the almost total absence of indus
trial unrest, he said.
"Without attempting to compare
the war-devastated regions of Europe
we find industrial unrest and discord
in practically all states of the Union
except in Florida. And it is true that
in this state the most prosperous Sec
tion is here on the west coast, where
we live in peace and plenty all the
year round
President w. NJ Rowlette, on behalf
of the Kiwanians, expressed sincere
pleasure at having Congressman
Drane as their guest and appreciation
of the excellent address delivered by
him.
A feature of entertainment at the
club meeting was a vocal solo by Miss
Coe Glade, accompanied on the piano
by Paul G. Davis. Miss Glade fol-
lowed with a delightful. encore.
Chairman Lawrence, of the baseball
committee, announced that plans for
the Rotary-Kiwanis baseball game
for the benefit of the Children's s
Home building fund would be decided
upon at a meeting of committees OF
the two clubs tomorrow morning
Probability of having the game in
connection with field day. program
at Plant Field on Labor Day was dis
cussed.