Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-03


order to save the country from bank
ruptcy, President Wilson went be-
fore Congress and requested an
emergency tax to run the Govern
ment. On October %, 1914, Presi-
dent Wilson approved a law levying
taxes on theatres, amusement halls
and circuses. The law also placed a
stamped tax on deeds, mortgages.
bonds. contracts, promisory notes,
and other evidences Of Indebtedness.
1t required bill of laden for every
shipment of stock or merchandise,
and required It to be stamped. 1t
taxed telegraph and telephone mes
sages. 1t taxed all policies Of life and
fire insurance. It taxed parlor and
sleeping car tickets on railways. 1t
taxed passenger tickets on steam
ship vessels. 1t taxed tooth powder
and paste, perfumery. essences. ex-
tracts, hair oil, hair restoratives
and hair dye. chewing gum, etc. All
these taxes were levied more than
two years and five months prior to
entering the World War; SO do not
let any Democrat tell you they were
for War purposes. Had the tariff
rate in the Payne-Aldrich law been
in operation, 1t would not have been
necessary to levy any special taxes.
Moreover there would have been no
panic, and the people would have
been happily employed.
Opponents of the protective tariff
Will tell you that the tariff increases
the cost Of the consumer. Index
numbers of wholesale prices, as is
sued by the United States Depart
ment of Labor, in July of. this year,
covering more than 400 articles,
show that the general level Of
wholesale prices, taken as a whole,
is 1907. Index numbers of wholesale
prices in September 1922. the month
the present tariff law we0t into ef-
feet, show the number to be 1853. The
difference in these two numbers
show that wholesale prices today are
1.5 per cent lower than when the
Fordney and McCumber bill went
into effect. The American manufac-
turer sells to the wholesaler and job
Der; consequently, if the American
manufacturer. under high tariff, is
robbing the people, as some persons
alleged. why, then, 1t ought to first
show 1t in the wholesale prices.
But let us assume for the sake OF
argument, that the tariff Is paid by
the consumer, is it not inNpitely bet
ter to spend our money Tor goods
(tariff included) manufactured here
in the United States, and by so do
ing keep the money here and pro-
vide employment at home for the
American people, than to purchase
goods from foreign countries, losing
both our money and labor. which
| would otherwise be expended here in
the production Of those goods?
Appropriations
In the Congressional Election of
1918. the people elected a Republi-
can Congress. On May 18th, 1919,
President Wilson called special
session of the sixty-sixth Congress.
for the purpose of passing eight
huge supply bills TO supply the nee
essary funds to run the Government
departments.
These eight supply bills had pass
ed the House, but failed to pass the
Senate, due to the fact that the Goth
Congress. controlled by the Demo-
cratic party, died on March 4th, 1919.
The new Republican Congress. in ap-
propriating for these supply bills, cut
them $3.50, 100000. The Democratic
administration also submitted to the
new congress the estimates of the
amounts of money necessary to run
the government in the fiscal years
of 1921 and 22. The new Republi-
can Congress in legislating for these
amounts cut them 81, 800, O00, 600 be-
low what was requested by the DEM
ocratic administration. Thus the new
Republican Congress saved the peo-
pie of the country $3.50, 600, 900,
which they would have had to pay
had they returned Democratic
Congress in, the campaign Of 1918.
II the Republican Congress acceded
to all OF the demands made upon it
by the executive branch of the gov
eminent. during the period of Dem
ocratic control, 1t would not have
been possible to make the reductions
in taxation which have been effected,
and our public debt would still be
near the peak point Of $4,000. OOO.-
600 instead of SIS. 443, 100000 the
present debt.
since the Republican party gained
complete control Of the government.
IN March. 1921 (siX years ago), ex-
penditures have been steadily re-
duced to such an extent that there
mas been an excess of receipts over
expenditures. The total excess of re-
receipts over expenditures. since the
Republicans came into power, six
years ago. total S1,S44, 100000 This
surplus is the direct result of the
strict economy practiced by the Re-
publican party under the leadership
OF Calvin Coolidge.
The Republican tax law of 1921
reduced taxes $500 1000. 900: the law
OF IVA. reduced taxes S4OO, 600. 600:
and the tax law of 1926. reduced
t tax $3.50. 900, 900, total of 81, $50
In 1871. the year the Republicans
gained control Of the government
the income of a married person with
no dependence, and the net income
OF 5000 from salary was S4O-this
was under the law passed by the
Democrats-this year no tax was
PAID: For single person. with a
net income from salary in 1921. the
income tax was $120; this year il is
only $16.SS. - 10
The 1926 tax law relieves 2.3OO-
wv persons from paying any direct
taxes at all, and also reduces the
taxes OF all other tax payers. 1t also
removes large number Of nuisance
taxes.
Coolidge
Some people charge President
Coolidge with being the tool of Wall
Street and big business.
When President Coolidge was gov.
ernor OF Massachusetts,. he signed
81 laws favorable to labor. When
a member of the Massachusetts, Leg
ANY Girl Can