The diamond drill., 1922-02-03
By EDWARD c. LOWRY
cesyrisht. western ks~spspsr Union
THE BURDEN OF TAXES


the United States spent about one bill
lion dollars year for all purposes,
including interest on the public debt.
In the fiscal year ending June 30. 1920.
the first full fiscal year after fighting
stopped, the government spent In
round figures six billion four hundred
million dollars. In the fiscal year 1921
that Is, up 10 June 80, 1921. II spent
s5.115, 1927 ,6s9.30, and In the fiscal year
OF 1922, which will end on June 30,
1922, IL will spend more than four bill
lion dollars, says Secretary Mellon OF
the Treasury Department.
These figures include interest on the
public debt which amounts 10 about
one billion dollars, but include moth
ing for sinking fund or other debt re-
demption. Including both interest and
sinking fund. the government Will
spend more than four times as much
the fiscal year 1922 as IL spent yearly
before the war.
These expenditures and these heavy
charges are a part of the price OF vic
tory. Your whole present problem is
TO curtail them. Ii concerns you 10
know just how these immense sums
were gathered and how much you paid
and are paying toward them, for OF
course we, the tax payers the men and
women with jobs. the men and women
who have what the census calls gain
full occupations, paid every cent OF IL.
II was our money until the govern
ment took IL.
Let Us examine the fiscal year 1920.
have not the detailed account for
1927, but IL was slightly less than the
year previous. as the year ending June
30, 1922, will be slightly less burden
on US than the year preceding. Ac-
cording 10 a careful analysis made by
.he late nr. n n. Rosa, o< the United
States bureau of standards, q govern
ment scientist who was deeply and In
telligently interested I'm the subject,
every man, woman and child in this
country contributes an average OF
fifty-three dollars In taxes 10 the sup
port OF the national government. Ac-
tually II Is nearer fifty-four than fifty
three dollars, but / am taking the
smaller sum for the sake of the round
number. That Is, the average family
OF fve persons pays S265 year out
OF its earnings 10 the federal govern
ment alone, In addition TO what Is
paid for state, county and city taxes.
The estimated average yearly income
OF family OF FIVE is something more
than 500. But before any Of that $700
is spent $265 must be turned over 10
the general government TO run the
business Of the United States.
The actual amount that each one OF
us paid was S53.77. We paid Il through
the medium OF internal revenue taxes
and customs duties On imported ar
ticles divided as follows;
Per
Capita
Income and excess profit. $3.50. .S37.20
Cigars and tobacco. 2.1T
Transportation and other utili-
ties .............f.s. 2.12
Autos. candy, furs. jewelry, etc. 2.52
Beverages ............... SO
Special taxes on capital stock,
teS. ''.s' - .'''s s.''s''s 200
Estate Inheritance ....... .97
Stamps on legal papers, etc.. 40
Admissions 60 amusements. etc. IT
Insurance and miscellaneous. %
Total ..................... .s53.77
The taxpayer Is next OF kin 70 the
frensury At any rate he IL the first
person notified when the treasury
needs money, and he always has to dig
down into his jeans for whatever Is
needed. TaxpayIng. even more than
charity. begins at home. The boys
best friend is his mother. but the tax
payers only friend is himself The
only thing that can be done for him Is