The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-01
FEAR BONUS
WOULD BOOST
FEDERAL TAX
Sixteen Brotherhood Heads
and Other Officers to Take
Up Matters of Interest to
Workers.
SEE BIG OUTGO IN 1923
BY MARK SULLIVAN


WASHINGTON, D c., June NO
doubt nearly everybody goes along
comfortably with the idea that next
year his taxes will be lower than they
are this year A good many persons,
including some careful business men,
are guiding their affairs on this basis.
They are refraining from selling prop
erty this year, in the hope that
through postponing the sale a year or
two they will not have to pay the gov
eminent so large portion of the prof
1t as tho would if they sold this year.
Having just had a rather depressing
conversation with one of the two or
three men who know more about this
than anybody else, it is necessary to
say that the men who are in positions
to have authoritative information do
not see how the national taxes can be
reduced for a good many years to
come. The appropriations for the year
1928 are down to the bare bones. The
0utgO from the national treasury in
1928 will be s3,5O0,000,0 There is
no one who sees how it can be re-
duced below that point for almost a
generation.
AS a matter Of fact, the running ex-
pense of the government has been
brought down to a point that is as
tonishingly low. This can be shown
by the briefest analysis of this $500
100000 which must be paid out next
year. OF this sum $4,000, 100000 goes
out for three purposes-namely, the
interest on the national debt, the sink
ing fund, and the veterans who must
be cared for. No ore of these items
is apt to be less than it now is in any
ylY1r; r;r7~r tIn ty1tr nr, t1,C
contrary the expense of caring for the
veterans is likely to go up rather than
down.
Normal Running Expenses
Granting. then, that no reduction
can be made in this $4,000, 900 900, let
US turn TO the rest of, it. The other
s1.500000, 900 is the normal running
expenses of the government. This
sum cannot be reduced any more read
lily than the others. The fact that
even before the war the normal run
ming expenses of the government were
anywhere from $1,000. 100000 to ST.
250,000,000 In 1916, the year before
America entered the war. the normal
running expenses of the government
were s1,250,000, 600.
Now, if you compare the billion and
quarter dollars which it cost to run
the government in 1916 with the bill
ion and a half dollars which il is 60
ing to cost to run the government in
1928, you will realize that the increase
in cost is not, as things go, very much
In dollars, the increase is a quarter
of billion. In percentage the in
crease is only 30 per cent In other
words, the cost of running the govern
ment in 1923 has been pared down
,rl, Il, i
intense effort of those who have
charge of the government expendi-
lures. to a point where it is only 90
per cent greater than the pre-war cost.
Fine Showing
1t is doubtful if any private business
or any private family is doing any bet
ter than this. 1t would be difficult
to find any business concern or any
household whose expenses for 1928
are only 20 per cent more than they
we're in 1916. In point of fact, the
showing is really better than this be
cause of the $3.50 600 600 which is add
ed 10 the cost of government for 1923
over what the cost was in 1915 fully
$l5OO00000 is caused by the increased
volume of business in the postal serv-
ice. The net result of il. is that
when you realize that the expense OF
running the government has been
brought down TO a point where it is
less than 20 per cent over the pre-war
cost you are forced to realize that
about as much has been done as il is
possible to do
It is not POI ibIe to foresee how
any furthe% considerable reduction
AN be made for many years to come
The contrary is more likely to be the
case. Congress is more likely tc
WELD to the temptation to do costly
things than to pare down the appro
priatiOns beyond where they are now
This being so, ii isn't possible to sec
RI how the government is going 10 b.
able to get along with any less taxa
tiOn than we now endure
All these remarks. it is needless tC
say, have a bearing on the subject oi
the soldiers bonus, which would nee
essarily represent so much additiOna
taxation. To anyone who replies tha
America will get a lot of money ou
of her European debtors there are two
answers: The first is that America
is not likely to get as much out o
them as the politicians have led thl
more trusting of US TO expect. The
second answer is that whatever Amer
lea does get out of European debtor:
should be applied TO the reduction o
the national debt and not to the run
ming expenses of the government
copyright, 1922. by the New Yorl
Evening Post. InCO
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