The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-01
TIE PRESIDENT APPEALS TO
THE PEOPLE

d. President Coolidge is trying to
save the people from themselves.
He appeals to them not to force
their representatives in Congress
to vote for huge appropriations
which would crack the, country'S
prosperity.
Here is Congress. threatening 10
sink the Administrations revenue
bill and to substitute bill which
not only would keep capital in
tax-exempt securities but would
create a treasury deficit of $780,
100000 And at the same time here
are a series of appropriation bills
which If they all pass, would in
crease the governments expenses
by half a billion dollars a year and
would force tax increase instead
OF tax reduction. 4.
The absurdity OF such appropri-
atoms is lined with the absurdity
OF the ramshackle tax bill which is
being hammered together by the
anti Administration forces. The
bill would put a premium on idle
wealth and would defer the use of
productive wealth. 1t would dis
courage initiative and tend still
further to rob industry of neces-
sary capital.
1t does not adopt the Mellon plan
for the repeal Of various nuisance
taxes. Whereas Mr.. Mellon. for
example. advocates the repeal of
all taxes on admissions. this hodge
podge bill merely repeats the tax
on admission up to so cents thus
favoring owners of movie theaters.
few OF which charge more than a
half dollar. ,r
And in the case OF cigarettes the
bill actually increases the excise.
At present the tax is outrag eously
high, being cents on a package of
10 cigarettes. The bill would
raise this tax to 4 cents.
Despite this nuisance attitude
on nuisance taxes. the PATCHWORK
bill would create 100000 900 de-
ficit. And yet members of Con-
gress have presented series of
appropriation bills which would
add to the annual expense of the
government as much as the total
annual expenses before the War,
exclusive of the costs of the Post
office Department. whose expenses
are offset by revenue from post
age.
President Coolidge knows that
these bills have been presented not
because members of Congress favor
such huge expenditures, but be-
cause most of the members are
yielding to pressure from various
groups in their constituencies.
The President knows, for example,
that most of the men in Congress
do not believe a soldiers bonus bill
is either right or expedient. He
knows that though a few of the
members. in their hunt. for. votes.
have been hurrahing for a bonus
bill ever since the War, the ma
'oritv Of the bonus advocates in
Congress have been reluctantly
pushed into their present position
The bonus hill. although it is the
Giant of them all, is only one of
the unnecessary appropriation
measures winch nave been MIRO
duced. The President realizes thnt
the enactment of this series of bills
would wreck the budget system.
which was established in order to
prevent unnecessary appropria- /
tons. The President believes th1t
the passage of the 000.000,000
bonus bill and of other tax-ea ting
measures would comrel IN in
crease in taxes. He feels that
such an increase would involve the
country in an economic disaster
Accordingly the President Of the
United States calls upon the peo-
pie of the United States to refrain
from urging their Senators and
Congressman to vote for needless
appropriations which are being adj
vocated by various groups. The
President calls upon the people to
urge their Senators and Congress-
men to vigorously oppose such
class legislation.-Chicago Journal
of Commerce.