The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-30
CAPITA TAX
.ADVANCESFR0M
46C TO $50
Federal Taxes Show Big In
crease in Last Sixty
Five Years
LARGE PAY ROLLS
Estimated That Those Serv.
ing Nation and States
Number 3,35O,OO0
ROLLS


cs have increased from forty-six
cents per capita to $50 in the last
sixty-five years, estimating the ma
tional budget will continue at APP
proxmately $3,000,O0O0OO, and indi-
cations are that this amount Of fed
eral taxation will increase rather
than decrease, declared Representa-
tive Henry T. Rainey of Illinois, in
an address before "a Farmers Week
convention.
During this period, usually re-
ferred to as the capitalistic period,
the largest increases in federal tax
alton have occurred with the last
quarter of century, following a
strong demand for the enactment uf
s't,a led progressive measures"
Representative Raney said. "In that
: period of time new legislation has
been adopted, which has required Il
startling addition to the number Of
our federal office holders until our
office-h gliding class, including in it
also state and municipal officers,
probably exceeds in number the en-
tire cffice-holding class, of any
three European nations.
''1n 1907, we had only 1900 fed
eral deputies, agents, etc, (whi.e
ten years before we had only 1879,
but in 1922 there we're 10000 fed
eral deputies, agents, and inspect
ors on the government pay roll, and
that number is constantly increas-
ing.
ut is estimated that there are
now on the federal pay rolls and
on state pay rolls, Including pen.
sioners and bond holders receiving
an income from federal bonds of
over $500 per year, 100000 men
and women. Counting dependents
there are at least 100000 people
in the United States who are sup
ported by taxes, but there are only
30,00O,000 people in the United States
engaged in productive labor There
fore. every two persons in the Unit
ed States engaged in productive la
Dor have on their shoulders at least
one person who is supported entire
ly by taxes.
During the present fiscal year the
government will collect 90 percent
less internal revenue than it did
during the last fiscal year, but the
department has been pernitted by
congress to increase it's expenses
this year by l3 per cent over last
year. This really amounts to an in
nf Al -, -,
the cost of collecting internal reve'
nue. cakes.
IF we add together our national
debts, the debts of the several states
our municipal indebtedness, the in
debtedness to PUBLIC servide cor
porations, the debts due banks, and
the debts due private money lend
ers, we will find the total indebted
ness under which we struggle TO
be about $4,000, 100000.
"Our national wealth has been es-
timated between 100000 900 and
100000, 00O.O00; but during the last
fiscal year the total assessed valu-
alton of all the real and personal
property found by local assessors in
all the states amounted to only
$88,000, 100000, and the real value
Of all the real and personal property
in the United States is estimated
at $133,00O 100000 Therefore, as a
nation we owe considerably over one
half as much as are worth and on
this tremendous sum we are paying
interest Of from four to seven and
eight per cent
The tariff bill just passed in
creased the tariff on sugar 16 cents
per hundred pounds. We consume
more sugar per capita than any
other nation in the world. On ac-
count of our tariff taxes the sugar
bill of the country is increased
$197,000,000 per year Of this, the
Treasury will get approximately one
half and the refiners and producers
one-half, but very little of this ire
mendous sum goes to the beet
growers. The refiners get practical
ly all of it and this amount would
build each year concrete highway
eighteen feet wide from the Atlantic
to the Pacific Ocean, or would pay
a subsidy of $50 per acre to every
owner of sugar beet lands and sugar
cane lands in the United States in
order to permit them to let their
lands lie idle. We still would have a
balance of $50,00O,0O0 to apply 10
the building of good roads,"