The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-11-07

Monsieur Loucheur. ablest financial
mind in France, tells Americans, You
must put out of your minds all idea of
getting the money that France owes
you. Payment is impossible. Consid-
er the ~stupendous sum France owes
you"
The amount that France owes US is
"a little over four billion dollars.
Loucheur may be right, payment
may be impossible.
But this puzzles you. Poincaire,
conserving to a conference, says there
mustn't be any suggestion OF cutting
down the amount he thinks Germany
should pay That amounx.s~thirty
= kin.
If France can't pay the stupendous
sum" OF four billions, how can Germa-
ny pay more than seven times as
much? Will the world conference
answer that question?
Ordinary arithmetic won't answer.
Cotton sold off a little. but it is still
above 80. and if you want it you might
as well buy it now. 1t is going to be
a scarce commodity.
Fortunately, the cotton growers will
get a somewhat better price, not be-
cause they deserve it, as they do, but
because the crop will be small.
Chickens lay more eggs when you
light the coop at night, %prolonging the
period Of eating. Everybody knows
hat. Now it is shown that %prolonging
the day by electric light will make
plants increase their growth.
It seems we are getting poorer, es-
pecially the richest among Us. Only
one man in the United States this year
pays tax on income OF five million dol
lars. The Government doesn't tell
who that one is. Income tax reports
are kept secret. The tax that a man
pays on a small lsme is public prop
erty.
Only twenty-one Americans report
I'd incomes OF one million dollars or
more.
In 1920 seventy reported incomes Of
a million. The solitary income of five
millions represents five per cent on
one hundred million dollars. Several
Americans would laugh If you offered
them a hundred million, for everything
they own. This doesn't mean illegal
or criminal evasion of income tax.
The laws are drawn so that they reach
small men, doctors. lawyers, moderate
sized business men. They don't reach
the really great fortunes. Everybody
knows that several great fortunes,
Henry Ford's, John D. Rockefeller's,
and two OF three others are worth
many times one hundred million dol
lars. But the money is in corpora
lions. The owners of the corporations
do not draw the money L They re-
invest il. a good thing when il is re-
invested in labor giving enterprises.
not so good when invested in bonds
that pay no tax whatever.
II the election OF anybody for presi-
dent would hurt your business or your
feelings. 9Lloyd's' of England will in
sure you against that election. One
concern paid down $4,000 and Lloyd's
agreed 70 pay $4,000 in case Of
Fordis eleetion-issuing a policy. which
is a good way Of Disgusting a bet.
The question is: Can Ford, by any
chance, stampede the Democratic con
vention2 Political leaders believe that
if Ford had a regular nomination it
would be impossible to beat him. If
the Democrats believe it earnestly in
1924, and if Ford had somebody that
could produce a Gross of Gold"
speech for him, stampeding the con
vention might not be difficult. What
politicians want, first of all, is to win.
-
Last week Communists were march
ing on Berlin to upset the Republican
government.
In this blessed country, at about the
same time, the public was learning of
a tobacco combination amounting to
two hundred and fifty millions of dol
lars, combining big interests, simplify
ing business-all excellent, provided
the public keeps track of what is done.
over in Europe they are tearing
things to pieces. Here we are build
ing up. Happy we.