The Glenwood post., 1922-07-06
XXVII.
THIS WAS YOUR MONEY
By EDWARD G.LOWRY
Copyright. Western Nev,peper Unioa


THIS. WAS YOUR MONEY
Consider for moment. if you will,
some further figures. This is your
money l am talking about.
For every fiscal year from 1866 to
1893 inclusive, there was surplus Of
receipts over expenditures. During
this period of 2S years the surplus of
receipts over expenditures totaled ST.
920,205 013.41.
For the fiscal years 1894 to 1883, in
elusive, the expenditures exceeded the
receipts in the aggregate of S2S3,O22,-
1904, inclusive, the surplus of receipts
over expenditures aggregated $310,-
319165.04. For 1908 the expenditures
exceeded the receipts by $7S,TT6,-
6223O.
For the years 1910 to 1914, inclus-
i've, the receipts exceeded the expendi-
lures by S149024. .404.27. For 1918
the expenditures exceeded the receipts
by S33,4SS, ,s31 30, For 1915 the re-
ceip:s exceeded the expenditures by
$55, III $3.50, and for 1917 there was
a deficit of $29.72I .S6473
From 1866 to 1917, inclusive, the re-
ceipts exceeded the expenditures for
each year with the exception of 1894,
1895, 1896, 1897. 1898 1899, 1905, 1908,
1909, 1915 and 1917. The total amount
by which The expenditures exceeded
the receipts for these IL years just
named, is S443, ,7G6. I447O For the so
fiscal years, 1866 to 1917, inclusive,
the receipts exceeded the expenditures
in Al years. the total of such excess
for that period being S2,591. .453, lS4.16.
For the fiscal years 1866 to 1910, the
revenues were raised through an in
direct system of taxation. Beginning
with the fiscal year ending June 80,
1910, the receipts from direct methods
of taxation have usually grown each
fiscal year, as will be seen by the fol-
lowing table:
1H0-Corporation tax ......$ 20, ,a51. .7S0.N
19ll-Corporation tax ......... 80. SIG, 1869
l9l2-Corporation tax ......... IS. $50, ,30S.73
19l3-Corr oration tax ......... 81, ,CO6, ,299. 81
19li-Corporaton excise tax. l0.61 .O77.22
l9l4-Corporation income tax 80, ,456, &C.. 81
l914-Individual income tax. Is, ,253, ,534. .s5
i9l5-Emergency revenue. 80, ,069. .126 %
l9l5-Corporation income tax 80 lee. .596 n
l9l5-lndiv.dual income tax. 41,646, 1852 90
l9l6-Emergency revenue. A,27s, ,302 l3
l9l6-Corporation income tax 56. 1893, 657.98
l9iG-Individual income tax. g. 943, ,594. .63
lgl1-Emergency revenue. IS. $751; .s8
lg17-Corporation income tax 179, ,572, ,sS7. IS
l9l7-1ndividual income tax. 1S0 l08 $40 10
l9lS-lncome and excess prof
its tax Observation-Disclosures. ,SS 999, S94. u
l9l9-Income and excess prof
It's TAX 2,696 or, T02. 10
The number of corporations max
ing income tax returns showing tax
able income, aggregated 52,49S in the
calendar year 1909, and that number
increased to 232,O79 for the calendar
year 1917. The number Of individuals
making personal income tax returns
aggregated 357,59S for the calendar
year 1913, and that number increased
to 3,472, $50 for the calendar year 1917.
For the fiscal year 1909 the total
ordinary receipts aggregated 5000, $780,
4S9.S4 of which $500, ,93395 came
from customs duties, $246 6212 ,643.59
came from internal revenue, and the
balance was received from the sale Of
public lands and other miscellaneous
items: whereas, for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1919, the total re-
ceipts from customs amounted to 1884,
451. .S67 80, while the internal revenue
including income taxes and corpora
tion and excess profits taxes, amounted
to $3.50 950,612.05.
IN VT lat
money, you paid toward the support
Of the government was slipped away
from you so easily that you hardly
knew anything about 1t. You did not
know that you were paying taxes to
the national government.
Indirect taxation is the most Sc
ductive form of raising public rev.
enue. You never came in contact with
the federal government except when you
bought postage stamp. But now YOU
know it every time you buy drink ut
a soda fountain, or "A bottle of medi-
cine, or sand telegram, or make Il
long-dlstance telephone call, or per-
form any one of score of other nor
NAL activities of daily life. Some
thing must be put in the kitty for the
government. Its annual rakeof runs
into the billions. You pay it and the
government spends it.
But all that part of the party is
about over now. The oysters have
been eaten and put in the bin. They
must be paid for. 1t is perfectly clear
that in the future by far the greater
part of the revenue required for con-
Quoting the public business must come
from direct taxes. 1t Is also clear
that the ordinary expenses for rum
ming the government will in future
probably exceed four billion dollars q
year. That is a lot of money to take
out Of your pockets, and mine Hadn't
we better see what is done with it, and
whether we can save any of It? Con-
preSS which Ia very fpr-cioh,aa o,a