Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-27
MAKING IT PLAIN

paper training is DIG asset IN MS
present undertaking to make facts
relative to governmental affairs plain
to. the people. The skill required
represent the technical and the dry
material in such form that it will be
plain to the layman, and he be inter-
ested in considering it. is an essential
to better understanding, especially at
this time. In the series of addresses
which President Harding is now
making he is most happily successful
in doing this very thing.
How neatly and effectively. to cite
an instance, he put the issue of state
rights, in the matter Of enforcement
of prohibition, before the unthinking
who have seen, or thought they saw,
in the attitude of Governor Smith Of
New York a standing up for the
States right. A few words and
President Harding. himself a be-
lever in the State surrendering none
Of its rights and privileges to the
Federal Government, made plain the
logic of the New York Governors
position, namely, the taking over by
the Federal Government of police
supervision, the enforcement of the
prohibitory law in the State. In
other words the State that will not
do its duty under the law will have
to submit to all that will go with the
Federal Government doing it. Sure
ly neither an agreeable nor a reput-
able position for the State to be in.
-rAgain, in his treatment of that
very important but somewhat con-
fusing subject. taxation, the Presi-
dent succeeded in putting the es-
sentials before the public in such
way few may fail to comprehend.
Besides he will lead them to think
more seriously of the individuals
responsibility in connection with pill
ing up this burden of taxation. The
man on the street may not join the
side walk committee, assume no re-
spGnsibility and join in a chorus Of
protest as though he were a mere
bystander. AS matter of fact he is
one of the unfaithful among the num-
Der he is protesting against.
How many realized that this coun-
try loaned to our allies more money
than the cost Of the Civil War was to
both North and South and that on
our own account We spent three
times as much. And who was think
jRg, while grooming under the burden
sDf taxation, that while the Federal
Eovernment, under the regime insist
cd upon by President Harding, has
been putting on the Federal brakes
and making no end of enemies among
those who were profiting from the
expenditures. state county and NUM-
Sipsl governments are either rum
ming wild or doing an Indifferent job
with the brakes?
The President showed that the
States have increased their revenues
since 1913 161 per cent, which means
Increasing their taxes and In the
sans period increased their debts
10 per cent. Then. in the large
cities, :27 Of them, the data shows
they took IS per cent more in taxes
e Ia 1921 than they had taken in 1913.
Meanwhile they increased their debt
40 per cent.
This is bringing the tax burden
right home. it is putting the re-
sponsibility on the individuals
shoulders. every time he grumbles he
SIS grumbling about his own inef-
ficiency as well. Otherwise 3S1
typical counties in the SO states,
@fson which data was collected would
not have increased their tax demands
by 127 percent and their debt by
4195 per cent.
While the Federal Government.
over which the average individuals
influence is so small as to seem
negligible, has been retrenching
under the present administration and
the cost is being steadily reduced,
. the local governments right under
vie noses of the taxpayers and over
which they have a very appreciate
influence, have been increasing the
burden right along and appear in
. chned to continue the process in
many places. There are SO many
things they. want. They act like the
. struggling families with three or
four hundred dollas saved up taking
that to buy the first part of an auto
mobile!
9 81 And we are yet going strong. head
hong into extravaganza. And while
We are spending on the things We
think We want we are complaining
-oXer our income taxes. The Presi-
dent makes a comparison with other
countries. A married citizen Of this
country with two children and an in
come Of $4,000 paid in 1922 an in
come tax of SIS. Had he lived in
Canada he would have had to pay
$l5s, in France sos in England $780,
IS.
Now II local conditions are like
what the national were when the
work Of retrenohment began we are
mot getting the worth Of our money.
Of course the high prices inevita-
biz have to be met with increased
expenditure, but are we taking pains
TO see that We are getting dollar for
dollar the value which the public
should get? Z
Not unless someone is putting on
Inc brakes. This requires not only