The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-12-02
Frazier to Defense of Farmer
Before PrOgressiVes.
Blame High Freight Rates and
Poor Transportation.
"TAX DODGER" A CRIMINAL
Policies of Secretary Mellon Are
Sharply Criticized.
sMust Proceed Carefully and
CautiOusly"-LaFOIIette.

Washington, Dec. Tearing into
the rich tax dodgers as Just as much
of a criminal as the embezzling bank
robber," Governor Blaine, of Wiscon-
sin, sharply criticised Secretary Mel
Ion before a gathering here today Of
notable progressive men and women
in and out of congress.
Suppose Mr. Mellon would scourge
the profiteer and millionaire with the
same v.gor he does lesser criminals, .
demanded Governor Blaine suppose
he would really try to enforce the
taxes assessed against the rich? Is it
true that the government is powerless
TO enforce the law against the rich, or
IS 1t just a lack Of desire on Mr.. Mel
Ions part to place all taxes on an
equality before the law?"
Plans Legislative Action
The meeting today signalized the
opening Of the second and final day
of the series OF progressive conferences
TO mould a program of '-nonpartisan,
constructive legislative action" in con-
gress-
Elimination from the income tax
law of the clause imposing secrecy
upon returns as the most effective
remedy for tax lodging. was proposed
by Governor Blaine, who stood Shout
der to shoulder with Senator La Fol-
lette in the triumphant progressive
sweeping of Wisconsin on November z.
Secretary Mellon said the govern
ment cannot collect taxes due from
incomes and sur taexS on excess prof
its" Blaine continued What Mr..
Mellon meant when he said that was
what the profiteers and milionaires
do to escape the income and sur taxes
is to make false returns, some times
thru innocence, perchance, but often
thru fraud and decent, or by legal
devices and other tricks of the trade,
legally to cheat the government.
Doesn't Reach Tax Dodger.
al a Ia w
and order and law enforcement. Sell
dom, however, does such eloquence
ever relate to the Millionaire tax
dodger-the man or the corporation
who Appropriate to himself or itself
money that belongs to the govern
ment.
- I'VE hear it daily Numbered from
many platforms and by many public
officials that the law be enforced. 1t
is just as important to command re-
spect for the law affecting taxation as
il is to command respect for any other
law Government will be undermined
more quickly thru violation of our
tax laws than thru violation Of any
other laws.
senator La Toilette opened the
meeting with a declaration that those
engaged in the new progressive move
ment were committed to good, SOUND
progressive work and economic think
ing" He said it was AN advance
movement for constructive. practical,
aggressive legislative action, altho 1t
was not proposed to ate mpt the I'M
possible or to accomplish everything
at one stroke"
Progress to Be Slow.
He warned that the movement must
proceed carefully and cautiously
after making a most thoro-golng m
vestigation of the vital economic and
other important problems for Whlch
a practical solution must be sought
81 newly elected pro-
sressive senators to be called upon
by LaFollette to address the meeuns
was LYNN J. Frazier, of North Dakota,
who drew a graphic picture or what
he described as the deplorable dis
tress of the farmers of the northwest,
whose crops, he said, were going 10
sarot and ruin" because of excessive
freight rates and inadequate transpor-
A resolution was adopted to the eff
dect that those affected should act
and speak only under the expressed
understanding that they were engaged
in a movement that was non-partisan
. in purpose.
seNon-Partisan" Instead.
: As the resolution originally read the
term isnon-pOlitical' was used but this
was eliminated and '.non-partisan"
substituted for it. at the suggestion
of Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor.
There is no action that this or any
other conference COulu take Will re-
gard to the important subjects before
us which would not be political" said
Gompers. The meeting unanimously
agreed with him. The following COM
mittee on resolutions was appointed:
Herbert F. Baker. president of the
Farmers National council; Frederic
p Howe; Granville S. Mcfarland;
Miss Elizabeth Hauser. secretary of
the National League of Women Not-
ers; Amos Pinchot, brother of Gov
ernor-elect Clifford Pinchot of Penn
sylyania; Senator Morris Sheppard.
Democrat. of Texas; Representatives
Huddleston. Democrat, Alabama, and
Nelson, Republican, of Wisconsin;
George L. Berry, president of the In
ternationaI Pressmen's union: P II.
Callahan. Louisville; William H. John
ston, president of the International
Union of Machinists; d. H Robertson,
president of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive F'iremen and Enginemen; Miss
Ethel Smith, of the Women's Trade
Union league, and Andrew Furuseth.
president OF the International Sea-
mems union.