Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1917 — THOSE “EXCESS" PROFITS [ARTICLE]

THOSE “EXCESS" PROFITS

If congress has a real desire to equalize the burdens of taxation that are to pay for the war, that body will be compelled to approach the question in a different spirit from' that now manifest. If there is one truth that stands

out more plainly than any other in this country, it is that capital and capitalists have been more favored than in any other constr? on the globe. The United States has more ( princely incomes than any other nation in the world. The profits from her industries are greater than those of any other country. ( It is the expressed purpose to tax these incomes and profits. As to the former, thev are contributing probably their share. It is with the latter that we have to deal. To the thoughtful person it would appear that congress should devise a just system of taxes on profits—not on “excess" profits. The profits on big business have been enormous for years, and there is really little “excess'* upon which to levy a tax. Take, merely as an example tL United States Steel corporation That concern is credited with at dividend in 191 Cof t27*,9(4,iW. It is extremely doubtful if their' profits will much exceed that figure in 1917, which would enable U. S. Steel to escape the excess tax entirely. The injustice of the entire scheme can be seen at a glance. • The tax burden will not be equit-; ably distributed so long as we persist in dealing with “excess'' pro- j fits. When we begin to consider ( ALL profits we will begin to make progress toward a correct solution of the taxing problem.

What with Liberty borjis. comfort kits, Y. M. C. A. fund. knitting and numerous other activities to be maintained, it would .seea 'the public has its hands pretty full ! just now. However, there is one 1 cause to which no one of as can ! afford to be indifferent. In every town and community throughout

the land frbm now until after CSiristmas, the little Red Cross Christmas Seals will be on sale. No lover of humanity can afford to neglect this noble charity. Not even war itself is the deadly enemy to the human race that the great white plague is. Its ravages extend around the earth, and no human being is exempt, The proceeds of the Red Cross Seals are devoted entirely to the rescue of the victims of this scourge: Who can tell that a dollar given to this cause may not be the means of • warding this plague from your own loved ones? If you would help the utterly hopeless of earth, rally to the support of the Red Cross fund. The hotel men over the country seem to have struck a snag in their attempts to explain their failure to observe meatless and wheatless days, by alleging that the traveling men would not “stand for it.” Now come the United Commercial Travelers indignantly deny the charge, maintaining that they are as ready as any other class of men to follow Mr. Hoover’s recommendations to the letter. It seems to be up to the eating house men. Dr. von Kuehlman, German foreign secretary is quoted as saying it was absurd to imagine that Germany would ester a peace conference with large claims. Bf Germany will stop to consider on whose soil she is waging her war she will conclude it is absurd to advance any claims. When she begins to fight on her own soil she might begin to think of claims—not before. The claims are all coming the other way. Luke McLuke says “the old-fash-ioned grandma used to wear a skirt that was four inches higher in front than it was in the rear, but the modern grandma wears a skirt that isn’t more than four inches below her knees all the way round.” Why, Luke, that’s just conservation. She just amputates the superflous ‘tail.’