Evening star., 1924-05-15
Americas Future and Problems
NO. I.
Tax Cut and Settlement of Russian Problem Held Key Vital
in Life of Country.

the Russian problem is to foment
and keep alive the spirit of distrust
and to justify the piling up of arma-
ment and the increasing Of taxes
upon the people without limit
over which the nations travelled for
twenty-five years prior to 1914.
~ X
A domestic problem which I con-
slider of paramount Importance is the
dire necessity of reducing our tax
burdens. 1t is not merely that we
are weighted down with direct taxes
-S6S to every inhabitant of the
United States-but that this taxation
Is causing indirectly the collapse of
aagricuit9re. Agriculture is heavily
purdened. The production has been
and is too large for the shrinking
markets or the world. Our farmers
are IN dire straits. More than 500
Danks IN the northwestern agricul-
| terrific burden of unpaid and unpay-
able farm mortgages.
Iahatlon Is complicated thing.
me taxpayer is not only carrying
the burdens of his own government,
but things have come about so that
ne Is carrying the burdens of foreign
ments-unrepaid foreign loans
Ihe anxiety, the discouragement, the
broken plans which lie beneath this
ssoWlns TAX burden, language is in
child, no part of the country and
no kind Of legitimate business es-
capes the demoralizing effect of high
taxes.
+ X
AAd taxes lie most heavily upou
oR farmers. Out in the great agri-
analysis. must be found the sources
of national wealth and contentment-
the place from which we are fed
there is going on a patient, dogged
struggle for the preservation OF
homes and farms such as no man can
| understand who has not witnessed it
Men and women who have tanned the
desert suffered and sacrificed, denied
themselves, and under the most ad
verse circumstances opened farms
now, with fifty years Of struggle be-
hind them, stand in mortal dread OF
the coming tax collector with his
| ever-increasing call.
r
Men may differ honestly as to de-
tails Of tax reduction. but certainly
| men cannot differ as to our task OIL
our duty. I maintain that wher
| homes are threatened, when citizen
ship itself is imperiled, when waste
| and extravaganza and corruption are
| eating their deadly course through
the whole fabric of government and
rotting out the fiber of society, faiIur,
| to stand up and fight true is no less
| reprehensible than failure to do your
| duty when your country is assailec
| by foreign foe.
There is no avoiding or sidestep.
ping this issue. One has a right tc
| be for tax reduction, or one has q
right TO be for the bonus for soldiers
| but you cannot be for both. YoJ
cannot take off a temporary burd er
| of 10000, 900 or so and lay on a per.
manent burden or obligation 81
| $4,000, 100000 or $1,000, 100000. ant
| call it tax reduction.
There is little hope of success fol
4 any issue, no matter how vital, ex-
| cept through the irresistible power Of
| public opinion.
The world is sick. and only reduc-
ton in burdens and Expenditures
| return to the comfy of nations
peace with your fellow human beings
only these things will make the
world well again.
TomOrrUw: Gov. Clifford PinchOt.
| Copyright, 1924, in c. S. and Great Britain
| BY North American Newspaper Alliance. Al
| rights reserved.)