Evening star., 1923-10-07

Y Y shoulders of the Ameri.
can people be lightened?
When the American people ahan-
don the idea that the government
can extract unlimited money from
the air and learn that public money
never comes from any place. but
private pockets. -.
That answer is not couched in the
precise language OF Andrew w.
Mellon, Secretary of the United
States Treasury, but it carries the
pith of what he eid say. when asked
the above question. Mr.. Mellon
does not talk in epigrams, does not
pound his. fist on his desk, pierce
you with his glance or do any of
the other things that great fnan-
ciers and captains of industry are
supposed to do, according to the
movies and the popular drama. He
is very quiet, courteous American
gentleman, unaccustoHaed to being
interviewed and inclined to be
rather diffident, but who, neverthe-
less, when he expresses an opinion
leaves no doubt in your mind that
he means exactly what he says and
that his views are the result of a.
calm judgment uninfuenced by any
considerations of politics or ex-
pediency.
People Must Choose.
"The American people,. he said,
Cannot have. lighter taxes and at
! the same time indulge in such lux
uries as bonuses and sfrlfi7a extrav-
agances. The, average, citizen: has
got to learn that the only money the
governments has is what it collects
through taxes WHICH he pays, and If
that money is squandereds on Such
things ASA soldiers bonus, elaborate
and unnecessary public buildings,
harbors and SO forth, which are
built for nolpther purpose than to
please local pride, taxation must in
crease tosproyides the. funds for the
regular and proper functions of gov
ernment.t .E.'.z-
An example in economy on the
part of the goyernmentitself might
help" suggested. -
"The federal government is doing
economies replied the Secretary,
but the fact Is too often lost sight
of that tbs Is not a country Of one
goveEnnNnt, but .sof many. govern
ments. Ths-sAHiefican system IS
tremendously. complicated aalrex-
pensive one, with tax-levying bodies
overlapping one another in man
ner which makes the entire burden
very heavy one for the taxpayer.
Only a very rich country could
stand it In England, for example,
there isaone taxing government, and
outside of the imperial taxes the
Englishman pays only small local
rates for, such things as water and
lighting. / The British taxes sound
very heavy. but. In actual fact the
average. Engfishman paya less than
the average American.
ns State Taxes Soar.
HAS state and focal TAXATION In
creased as. much as;3federaR" l
asked.
More so. Federal taxation has
dropped from $53.78 in 1920 to $32.40
per capita in 1922. In the same three,
years state and local per capita tax
alton, according to the estimates of
the National Industrial Conference
Board, has risen from $2o88 to
$33A: In actual money raised the
figures for last year are: Federal
taxes, $3,565, 10000; state and local
taxes, Y,64S,l5l.0 600"
How do the states compare?" I
asked
> There is not a great deal to
choose" answered the Secretary.
Here is tabulated list which will
give you the figures at a glance. The
per capita increase for eighteen
states since 1913 has been from 100
to 200 per cent. New Mexico leads
the race with an increase of 533 per
cent. Delaware and Oklahoma are