Evening star., 1923-01-06

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass, January
e-How much Of your productive time
during 1922 was used in paying taxesf
Roger Babson, the statistician, an
swered the question today, In state
ment that shows the equivalent OF one
day each week spent to meet the d.
rect and indirect taxes that nation,
state, county and city levy.
zone hour and twenty minutes OF each
business day--or one entire Day wesN or
son in the United States to MAINTAIN
government" said Mr.. Babson ihat
is the lesson of a recent analysis, snow
ing that one-sixth of our national IN
local. The amount divides aimoss
equally between national taxatlon aLo
the expenditure for state and local pur-
poses. The question. is not, therefore
one OF any particular party poIltlcs'
American Business Needs.
This habit of getting the govern
ment to do something about IT Is one
of the most costly and wasteful IDEAS
that we Americans have developed. II
has grown upon US since the war. we
became accustomed to things tnen tnal
would not have had consideration Pc
fore Now we are exceeded by one
nation only, Great Britain, In our cost
of being governed. There the unen-
ployment doles' and other Legislation
put forward by a stronger LABOR Se So.e
have exceeded anything attempted here
as yet. But this tendency must pc
checked abruptly il American business
Is to survive in the competition Whlcn
1t faces over the next FIVE to ten years.
Because any one individual does
not see the tax collector ne thinks
perhaps that he does not pay, but ne
does pay just the same. TAXATION costs
represent an item of overhead in every
4. hENxY
uses in process of working up TO fin-
ished product. The tax burden is IN
evitable. There are certain number
of potential labor hours represented IN
rnunity. The number OF these labor
hours which it takes to protect ms
property, make safe his home and edu-
cate his children are just so much
taken away from the possibility OF es-
tablishing that surplus OF wealth upon
which the community thrives.
Old Way of Paying Taxes.
1.-THE truth of this situation was
perfectly clear in the old days. when
every man in the community was
called on for five days work on the
roads a year in lieu of taxes and
when the 'nightwatch' was main
tained by periodic service Of the
go cut and patrol police beat one
day each week, year in and year
cut? Or how would you like to take
your turn as member of the fire de-
partment one day in every six?
This would be our lot IL we paid
our taxes in the old way today. Or,
applying it to road work--nearly
sixty days service on the roads
be required instead of five.
what wonder living costs are high
when this toll comes out ahead of
the productive capacity for benefit
OF the opportunity? The actual tax
alton does not tell the whole story.
Costs ofscollection. particularly under
our system of federal taxation. some
times treble the amount actually re-
ceived by the government Any move
TO restore excess profit taxes or spe-
cial classified levies on trade is bound
to make the situation worse.
FriIIS All Cost Money.
I'VE. should be able to make the
people understand that fads and frills
all cost money! 1t is all right to be
progressive in our ideass but it is not