The Delta independent., 1925-03-27

raises in wages which every busi-
ness man knows are unjustified A
clerk in an United States Postoffice
with only an eighth grade education
may receive $4,000 per annum, some
do judge of our District Court re-
ceives but 100000 per annum. The
governor of our state and judges of
our Supreme Court receive but
100000 per annum. Therefore, one
of these postoffice clerks with but s
hours of daily work to do, receives
practically half the salary of the
governor of Colorado, or a Judge of
our Supreme Court.
What can a business man think of
the experience of our government in
operating the railroads during the
war period? Although industry and
agriculture were spurred to their
highest productivity and quantities of
food and war materials hitherto un-
paralleled were shipped over these
lines of railroads, yet a net loss of
seventeen hundred million dollars has
resulted from the government opera
tion of the railroads. The pampered
employees of these railroads had
their standard of living and their
wages raised to such an extent that
it has been impossible to put freight
Irates-which are largely determined
by the wages of railroad employees
and coal miners-at all in balance
with the meager returns of the
farmers.
Some years ago statistics were is
sued by our government showing that
the average farm worker had an in
come of $4,000 per year, and the
average worker in industry had an
income of 100000 per year. ! believe
these figures should be somewhat
raised at the present time, that is as
to the laborer in industry, and even
after taking into consideration the
periods of idleness owing to shutting
down of the plants. the industrial
worker has a larger income now than
heretofore. We will assume for the
time being that of u men employed
in industry and farming there is an
average income Of 100000 for each
worker. One is drafted for govern.
mental service and is given $1,000 90
per annum, the burden of paying
this 100000 is placed upon the other
II, who have not only out of the
$ll,OOO.O0 which the u now produce
to pay this favored government en-
ployee 100000, but they also have
to divide the remaining $4,000 90
among the II workers remaining
which leaves them only SSl7.OO each.
Thus the more bureaus we establish
the more men they will draft from
productive employment to serve in
government positions, and the less
sufficiently paid becomes the re.
mainder of the working classes. And
yet at the present time we have a
positive craze for demanding more
| and more governmental activities
more and more bureaus, more and
more laws, all of which have no more
to do with encouraging thrift and in
! dustry than the efforts of a school
boy would to lift himself over a
fence by pulling on his boot straps.
The most noticeable phenomen OF
the present time in our government
is the constant effort made by each
congressman to secure liberal appro
priations so as to curry favor with
his constituents. When will the day
come when the people win realize
that they must not demand these
new activities unless they are will
ing to further paralyze industries
and further deter thrift. We have
even had laws increasing the burden
of the taxpayer in order that the
government might have money Ia
loan to a favored class-the farmers
Do you know that in tax rebates il IS
costing the United States over lOg,
to secure money to loan to the farm
ers at 5lzT5 in order that congress
men may place this cheap money be
fore their farming constituents. The
| capitalist has to be paid by tax re
bates in making the farmers securi
ties tax exempt Let us illustrate.
Before the war farmer could Dor
row money here at SO, this farm
mortgage was taxable in the eastern
states where It was held, for state
county, school and municipal purpos
es. These taxes would amount in an
average way to go Of the principal
which reduced the taxpayers interest
TO go net. The government now
gives the investor a tax exempt bond
! at 5lAfs, but TO do this IT has tc
waive its own income tax provisions
which if the holder Of this former
farm loan had an income in excess Of
S2oO.000.O0 would amount to 3gs, OF
half the interest on the SFs farm loan
after deducting go for local taxes
This means that to provide the mon
ey for the farmers at $40 the Unit
ed states gives up in the case ol
large incomes not alone IT'S * of the