Evening Star Newspaper, October 9, 1921, Page 41

EDITORIAL PAGE . NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIAL ARTICLES Part 2—12 Pages PROPOSED SALES TAX AS GROWN IN FAVOR nder Senator Smoot’s Plan, Manufac-| turers and Producers Will Bear Burden, Products Worth $6,000 Being Exempt. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. HE so-called sales tax, which a few weeks ago was pro. nounced dead and only await. ing burial, has shown remark: ble signs of life recgntly. sserted confidently that Congress ould have none of it in the revision f the tax system of the country now nder way. It may be that the ef- ort to have a sales tax adopted will ail, but at leadt the plan is to have try-out in the Senate within the ext two weeks. That the plan has ained amazingly in strength is due o a rather remarkable campalgn con- ucted almost singlehanded by Sen- tor Reed Smoot of Utah, republican ember of the finance committee. The sales tax plan, it is true, has een considerably modified. Origin- lly a sales tax was a “turn-over” Jax—the levy was to be imposed upon very sale of an article. But the resent Smoot plan is more properly alled a manufacturers and produc- rs’ tax. It is to be levied upon every lommodity manufactured or produced vhen sold, leased or licensed for con- lumption or use without further proc- ss of manufacture. Further, it is to e levied upon every commodity anufactured or produced in a for- ign country when imported into the nited States for consumption or use ithout further process of manufac- ure. The tax proposed by Senator fmoot is 3 per cent for which the ommodity is sold, leased or licensed vhen manufactured in this country, nd 3 per cent on the value at the port of entry when Imported into this ountry. Tax Levied Only Once. The tax is to be levied just once— hen the article Ys sold for consump- ion or use without further manufac- luring process. For instance, the pro- ucer of cotton in the south will sell is raw cotton without paying any ax; it wilk be made into yarn, etc. nd still will pay no tax: it will be hade into cotton cloth and still pay o tax, unless it is to be used as uch. But when the cotton cloth is panufactured into clothing, and the lothing is sold by the manufacturer, he tax will be levied. Take another case: A farmer. pro- uces wheat. He pays no tax when e sells his grain to the mill, but the iller, when he grinds the Wwheat hto flour and sells it to a wholesale rocer, will pay the tax—but if he ells it to a baker the millex will not bay the tax, but the baker will pay he tax on the bread he produces for he consumption of his customers. nother farmer produces potatoes. He ill pay the tax on the potatoes he ells to the grocer, since; potatoes re used as such by the consumer. Right here it may be said that ‘the merican farmer in the great major: ty will not have to pay the tax, be- ause there is an exemption of $6,000 corth of business before this manu- facturers and producers’ tax is to be evied. The average production of he farmer in this country is valued by the census bureau at between 1,000 and $2,000. What Tax Wil Yi The manufacturers and producers’ ax,.it is estimated by the experts, il pgoduce $759,756,000 revenue. his is said to be a very conservative stimate. 1f, however, it should fall hort of this amount, or raise more han is needed, by simply changing he percentage of the tax from 3 per ent_to 4, or from 3 per cent to 2, this an be remedied. The simplicity of he system proposed is declared by ts supporters to be one of the vital easons for its adoption. There is o doubt that the country will re- uire an enormous governmental evenue for many years to come, to heet the war debt and to keep the hachinery of government running broperly. But by the adoption of the lianufacturers’ tax it will be pos- ible to do away with many of the present war taxes, many of them exatious and burdensome, many of hem intricate and very difficult to ollect. For example, it is proposed to do way with the excess profits tax, hich has been declared to be a eat impediment to business and vhich has been pyramided until he burden of taxation upon the con- umer has been made many times eavier than it should be. Under the anufacturers’ tax plan, the tax will e paid once. The people will know vhat the tax is, and it will not be ossible for the tax to be added again nd again, as under the excess profits Lix plan. «Nuisance” Taxes Repealed. Transportation and insurance taxes vill be repealed. The beverage taxes taxes on all kinds of soft drinks— vill be repealed. Taxes on admis- jons to theaters and the “movie! ircuses, base ball games, etc., will gb y the board, and so will taxes on lub dues, the luxury taxes, under hich the people pay taxes if they urchase wearing apparel valued at ore than the amount set down by aw as covering necessities. Stamp axes, capital stock taxes, taxes on elegrams, ice cream, cosmetics, etc., vied under the existing law will all e wiped out. Senator Smoot's substitute plan ontemplates the imposition of the ew manufacturers and producers’ lax, the income tax, the inheritance , the corporation tax at 10 per ent, the present taxes on tobacco, quor and customs duties imposed nder the tariff law. From these ources, he declares, it will be pos- ible to raise all the revenue that the overnment needs. The manufacturers’ census for 1919 jhowed that the production in_ this oIt was country in that year amounted to $62,500,000,000. This census covered 351 classificatiogs of manufactured oods. Not all this production would | be taxable under the Smoot plan. Iny the first place, there is the exemption of $6,000 a year for each producer] and manufacturer. Then there is thel exemption of goods’ produced for.ex- port to foreign countrics. Under the | Constitutien, it is not possible to levy | 2 tax on. them, it is held. Tobacco, liquor, the products of public utili- ties companles, gas, electric light, power, etc., do not come under -this] tax, nor do the newspapers: But it Is estimated that approximately $40,- 000,000,000 ‘worth of products in this country would be taxable. No Tax en Service. It may be mentioned here that serv- ices rendered—such as transportation —are not covered by this proposed tax. A distinction is made between “service” and “consumption and use.” Newspapers, for instance, are held to render “service"—the service of pre- senting to the public news matter and advertisements, and therefore would not pay the tax. But the tax would be paid upon the news print paper sold to the newspapers, upon the ink and other materials used in producing a newspaper. In estimating the revenue to be de- rived from the proposed tax, the farm products as such have practically been eliminated, because of the $6,000 exemption allowed each producer, and because many of these farm jproducts are raw materials and are manufactured later into articles for consumption. The imposition of the tax upon imported goods is to prevent any ad- | vantage to the foreign producers and manufacturers which they might de- rive from the levy of such a tax on American producers and manufactur- ers if they themselves were exempt from the tax when their goods come into competition with the home prod- uct. On the other hand, American jBoods going into competition with | foreign goods abroad will not be sub- {Ject to the tax, and therefore will be able to compete without that han- dicap. The sales tax, as now proposed by Senator Smoot, is simpler than the sales tax in Canada, and also more simple than the tax imposed in the Philippine Islands, which has proved markedly successful. It is .the.be- lief of Senator Smoot sndyother sup- porters that, even if the plan be de- feated now, it will eventually be adopted by Congress because of its simplicity and its, faifness. Paid Only Once by Consumer. The tax will be passed along to the consumer. Every tax is. But the advantage of this is that it can be | passed along only once, since it is levied only on the last sale to the merchant who is to put it out for consumption. While eritics of the plan have declared that it will be difficult to collect such a tax, its sup- porters point out that the Treasury Department already has had experi- ence in handling the taxes upon vari- out manufacturers under the present law, and is well equipped to deal with the matter. Moreover, they claim that it_will be possible to collect this tax with far less federal agents than are now employed in handling all the so: called nuisance taxes. Under the plan all manufacturers will be taxed, instead of those now singled out by law. While the miller will have to pay the tax on flour, | bread should not increase in price, for the excess profits tax now levied on the miller and the baker will be eliminated and the excess profits taxes have been passed along to the consumer in magnified form. Senator Smoot has been deluged with letters and telegrams from all parts of the country, from individuals and from corporations. expressing ap- proval of the manufacturers and pro- ducers’ tax as now drafted. The business world, on the whole, appears to have approved of the proposed system, and the general public, so far as it has been educated in regard to the real meaning of the proposed change in the tax system, apparently has approved. too. ! Insists on “Health Habits" Being Enforced in Schools DR. W. S. SMALL, School hygiene expert of the United States bureau of edueation. Seven “henlth habits” will be taught as part of the curriculum of the publ schools: A full bath more than once a week; brusking the teeth at least once a day; sleeping long hours with the windows open; drinking as much milk as possible, with mo coffee or tea; eating vegetables or frauit every day; drinking at least four gilasses of water a day; playing part of every # - EDITORIAL SECTION " '~ k] WASHINGTO! D. O, SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER: 9, 1921 President Harding Shows Himself In the PraCtical OptimiSt Class Effort to Be Made This Week to Pass BY N. 0. MESSENGER. ‘' RESIDENT HARDING, in the midst of the great problems confrpnting the country, the Congress, the administra- tion ‘and the republican party, is what you might call a practical optimist. Instead of defining the term, it is preferable to describe how it fits him. You have seen people who, when something horrific plumps down on the road in front of them, take a negative view of it, give up by the wayside, saying: “It cannot be overcome.” Well, that is not his way. Then you have seen others in the same circumstance who profess. to ignore the obstruction, declar- ing: “It is nothing; the Lord will remove it, and I need not worry.” That is not his way, either. He believes in the invincibility of progress, internationality, nationally, politically and economically, and sets about to find means of starting on the.path, through, around or over the obstacle or difficulty In'partial, if not com- plete, fashion. 'He does not think perfection can be attained,*meither does he hold that mortal man s excused from striving to effect a meas- ure of approach to it because of the compass of the difficulties intervening. Which is prob- ably the type of the majority of Amerlcans. * ¥ ¥ *x The incumbent chief executive of the United States government, President of all the people and titular head of the dominant political or- ganization in the land, can see even with closed eyes—should he close them, which he does not— many towering peaks capped with difficulties on €very horizon, international, national and politi- cal. But he does not regard them as inaccessible to the determined climber, and in so far as it is within his domain to be the leader in the at- tempt, he is unafraid and undiscouraged. * ok kX No one in political position in the adminis- tration or among the republicarf§ in Congress ignores the fact that conditions are critical for the majority party in the progress of legisla- tion. The tax revision bill is surely badly en- tangled in the machinery of party and factional Ppolitics, sectional and class and personal conflict of interests and opinions. But, after all, has not that been the fate, in greater or lesser degree, of all tax measures, and does it not attach, in the nature of things, to auy effort to be made in the future to impose the burden of taxation and distribute it? The one big consideration of the hour ‘for the republicans, it is declared on Capitol Hill, is to abate as far as may be possible factional discordance over the laying of the taxes and go before the country with the result, ignoring the protests of the minor party. For, it is asserted, as far as the democrats are concerned, the re- publieans may feel sure that the majority party will be condemned if it does and condemned if it does not. As for:the country at large, the republicans feel that sure and fatal condemna- tion awaits the party if it does not do some- thing toward lessening the taxes, and do it as soon as possible. * Kk kK Apprehensions of the republicans, entertained some weeks ago, that the democrats were get- ting ready for a big political drive in Congress in connection with the pending legislation are being realized in dismal fact. It is quite ap- parent that the minority has on its war paint and is ghost-dancing with weird and ominous outeries. This is currently true in the Senate, and the tribesmen in the House will fall in very shortly. The democratic party in Congress is in an aggressive mood, spurred on by the echo of per- sonal ambitions of some of its leaders outside and the incessant complaint of the party at large, now occupying the position of the under dog in the fight, and not accepting it uncom- plainingly by any means. For a while after the November elections the democrats seemed dazed, as well they might be, in contemplation of an adverse majority of some seven millions. That spirit of numbness was followed by a’ period of inactivity wherein they professed, through good sportsmanship, to allow the ma- jority a chance to make a record. It was part- 1y a case of necessity, however, for, not having been left a leg to stand on, there was no motive power available. But now they believe they have something to go on, in the plight of the opposition over legislation in Congress, and are preparing to be up and doing. There is an incentive also to try t6 get some political cdpital before the ad- ministration should score a possible hit in the outcome of the armament conference. * % % X You cannot get democrats to talk about the possibility of the republicans experiencing dis- nm)o{nltmem in the result of that forthcoming conference,-because it would be unpatriotjc and put them in the light of handicapping a great humanitarian effort. Yet-if it should so turn out It is easy to imagine them saying, “Too bad,” and show a little sign of satisfaction in the corner of the mouth. They know that In their hearts the republicans are counting upon an expected big strike in the armament con- ference to submerge possible popular disap- pointment over the delay in remedial legisla- tion by Congress for the ills which afflict the body economic. * % ¥ ¥ In administration circles last week there was considerable perturbation over one phase attendant upon the armaiment conference, the threatened activity of a dombination of various uplift organizations in intended furtherance of disarmament. The effect of this endeavor, based upon the best intent, it was feared might be the reverse of what was contemplated. Bluntly stated, the possibility was recognized of the movement convincing the delegates from abroad to the conference that the sentiment of the people of the United States is so overwhelm- ing for a large measure of disarmament that the people will force disarmament here regard- less of an international agreement, and other nations, therefore, need not agree to limit their armaments. The administration was concerned over the announcement that the so-called “National Council on Limitation of Armaments” intended to establish at Washington a committee which should be at once & Watch-tower of observation, an amplifier of announcement of the progress and detalls ‘of the conference and an alarm tocsin to peal forth every indication of fallure of the conference to secure material disarma- ment rather than limitation. The National Council on Limitation of Arma- ments is made up of representatives from the National Grange, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Friends' Disarmament Commit- tee, the World Sunday School Assoclation, the ‘Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the National Educational Association, the Women’s Committee for Disarmament and the General Federation of Women's Clubs. * ¥ X % The administration has already given plain notification to the people that the officials of this government do not expect the conference to do more than secure an agreement among the participating powers to reduce armaments, and that the measure of that reduction must be expected to be limited. There can be no doubt that many millions of Americans, calmly viewing the practical aspects of the outlook, feel that no more should be expected. Other Americans are doubtless convinced that the af- fairs of the world are in such chaotic condition that this country should, and others will, “keep their powder dry” for some time to come. * The administration feels that it would be disastrous should the impression get abroad through the activity of these volunteer workers for world disarmament that the United States accepts the millennium as having arrived and is willing wholly to throw its defenses to the soft zephyrs of international peace. * %X X * “The delegates to the conference will be old- world diplomatists, trained in the art of diplo- macy, intent upon certain definite, cold plans to benefit their respective nations in the settle- ment of the Pacific and far eastern questions. Are they, it is asked in Washington circles, to vget their idea of this nation’s attitude from the words and acts of the American delegates to the conference, or from organizations repre- sented in the proposed supercouncil of ob- servatjon? (Copyright, 1921, by The Washington Star.) BY FRANCESCO NITTI, Former Premier of Italy. CCORDING to the treaty of Versailles, Germany, which no longer possesses a navy and has only a minimum of artillery limited to her internal de- fense, is not allowed to maintain under arms more than 100,000 men. Besides her fleet, Germany's peace footing in 1913, as revealed by the budget submitted to the reichstag, consisted of 647,000 men of all arms, 105,000 non-commissioned of- ficers and 30,000 officers. Germany is, therefore, condemned to go without an army; she ispunished where she most sinned. She must only ‘work to fulfill the objects of the treaty; stand the expense of a large army of occupation and pay an enormous number of indemni- ties, which exceed her economic powers and which therefore can- not and never will be paid. France, which has emerged from the war with the biggest public debt and in a demographic situa- tion which must be regarded as the least favorable of all, has now un- der arms the Jargest army in the world. Great Britain alone cut down her army promptly and rad- ically. France and the two coun- tries which aid and abet her in her anti-German policy, namely, Bel- gium and, above all, Poland, have enormous armies both_as regards numbers and expense. * % k% In 1914, the French army consist- ed of 28519 officers and 762,450 men, besides 28,000 colonial and na- tive troops. While Germany no longer possesses an army, France has increased hers. On. the 1st of July last she had 810,000 men with the colors, including 38,473 officers, namely, much more than Germany had before the war. Given her demographic structure and her financial situation, this is the greatest military efforf of modern times, which can only have one of these two results: Either eco- nomic and military supremacy or utter ruin. But the two allies of France, Bel- gium and Poland—Belgium no longer neutral, Poland always in disorder and in an attitude of con- tinual provocation—likewise main- tain armies which in pre-war times would have been the armies of great powers. Belgium has dou- bled its peace effectivas, which are now of 113,600 men—an enormous army for a population which is nu- merically about that of New York city ar of larger London; Poland, whose economic condi- tions are simply disastrous, having no money and no credit, still main- tains an army of about 450,000 men. Her recent treaty with France places her under military obligations the full extent of which is not yet perfectly known. Po- land has vast dréams of greatness l abroad and growing misery at home. 8 ‘While Germany has oniy 100,000 men under arms and no artfllery, the French group of national defense, despite its political resources and the guarantees of the treaty of Versailles, finds it necessary to maintain an army of almost 1,400,- 000 men. * k% % If this is the situation of the principal military countries, that of the smaller nations and of those that have sprung up from the war is not less serious. The vanquished no longer pos- sess armies, but, strangely enough, the armies of the victors and of the states born of victory are con- stantly on the ingrease. Austria, reduced to intolerable misery, could maintain an army of 30,000 men. As a matter of fact she has only 21,700, and can hardly manage to pay them. Hungary has 35,000 men, but her currency is so depreciated that they cost her al- most six billion crowns. Bulgaria has 23,092 men. On the other hand, we have Ru- mania with an army of 206,000 men, Jugoslavia with 160,000, Czechoslovakia with 150,000, and Greece with over 400,000 men un- der arms. Last year, in the economic. mani- festo of London, the British pre- mier, Lloyd George; Millerand, then president of the French coun- cil of ministers, and I called the attention of Europe ‘to the situa- tion which had developed, and which constituted a danger. But the manifesto fell on a soil of violence and gave no fruits. No country appears to be exempt from the spirit of violence and. from the desire to dispose lav- ishly of the fruits of victory. ~ Great Britain alone, while in- credsing her naval expenses, has reduced hér army (including offi- cers) to 201,127 men—namely, much _less than before the war. Italy has still a standing army of 312,000 men, slightly more than in pre-war times. The population of Italy is small- er than that of France, which maintains an army more than twice as big. * % % % During the’ war it was asserted that the spirit of violence was a German prerogative; after the war we should have Mmd real peace, namely, the reduction of all mili- tary expenses and the develop- ment of the spirit of solidarity. But where are we now? There are now in Europe, includ-. ing Russia, which is a vast Gcean of misery and death, aimost five million men under arms. It is dificult to say how, much they. cost. In some countries poverty is such thet money has lost all value. In spite-of France's help, no ‘one could guess how many tens of bil- lions of her disastrous currency Poland has to pay every year for her army. But Belgium, which has a toler- ably good currency and tends to improve it steadily, has now op- dinary and extraordinary expenses equal to those sustained by the principal military states before the war. In the budget for 1921- 1922, recently approved by parlia- ment, the ordinary military expenses were calculated at 558,000,000 francs and the extraordinary at 353,000,000, making a total of 912,- 000,000, to which must be added 368,000,000 francs of recoverable expenses for the maintenance of the corpe of occupation. And to think that the same budget in pre- war times did not exceed 78,000;- 000 francs! The conclusion that we are forced to draw, examining the sit- uation which has developed, is sad indeed. Europe, dominated by the spirit of violence, watches her own decline and probably pre- pares for fresh conflicts. * % ¥ X Almost three years after the end of the war the system of treatles has brought about the following situation: 1. The victors, having disarmed the vanquished, have imposed upon them absurd economic and moral’ conditions and iniquitous territo- rial humiliations, as those afflicted on Bulgaria, on Hungary and on Turkey, and which it would be very difficult to justify. While Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria have only 180,000 men under arms, Belgium alone has an army of 113,000 men and Jugoslavia of 160,000 men. Poland has about five times as many soldiers as Ger- many. 2. Feeling themselves on the brink of ruin, the victors have de- veloped a tendency to load the vanquished with their liabilities, demanding indemnities which can- not possibly be paid. Turkey, Bul- garia, Hungary and Austria are in a real state of bankruptcy and in such misery as to be in urgent need of relief. All demands, there- fore, center around Germany. Be- sides paying an Indemnity which is not only intolerable, but illogi- cal, Germany is forced to support an enormous enemy army of oc- cupation, which costs almost dou- ble as much as any army before the war and which has now the sole object of disgregating" the in- ternal life of the vanquished na- tion and of preventing Germany’s resurrection. Nevertheless, all the victorious states, which, with the exception of Great Britain, are more or less badly shaken in their finances and threatened with eco- nomie ruin, attempt to -bolster up their credit, especially in America, with the allegéd guarantee of the German indemnity. America is wise in not attributing the slight- est value to this guarantee. having proved absurd and the time Spirit of Violence, Plus Military Costs, Held to Threaten Very Life of Europe approaching when Germany, having exhausted her capacity for indebted- ness abroad, will be unable to make any further payments, France aims at acquisition of material advantages. There are determined currents of . opinion In France which advocate the occupation of the Ruhr dnd the non-consideration of the plebiscite in Upper Silesia. To give Upper Silesia to Poland, against any logical inter- pretation of the treaty of Versailles, ‘would mean giving France the mono- poly of coal and iron in continental Europé.” What is worse, it would mean the disgregation of the whole economic’ life- of Europe and the creation of a situation which could not long be maintained. * K ok k . ‘What i§ especially sad is to find that in three years’ time Europe has made no real progress. In fact, it may be said after ncarly three vears since the conclusion of the war the situation, taken as a whole, instead of improving has become consider- ably worse. The spirit of violence has passed from the vanquished to the victors, and in proportion as vio- lence augments so does our anxiety for the future increase. The ven- geanca of the enemy consists in dreg- ging The victors to ruin. The war has been won chiefly by hunger, the terrible ally which the entente succeeded in enlisting on their side. This ally is always pre- ceded by armed men and by trumpets of war, and is followed by revolu- tions. After having called him in Europe. is_still unable to evict him. And now the monster is threatening everybody, more or less, What will hbe the result of so many mistakes of the entente? Very probably . the European na- tions who will be saved will be pre- cisely those on whom the spirit of democracy and peace will first descend. ‘The crisis of consclence is becoming every day more clearly outlined; many pecple are beginning to think that democracy and justice are not words void cf sense, only to be in- voked during the war. Doubt has made its appearance, ard truth ‘s born at the foot of doubt. Dante's metaphor has never been more true. than at the present moment. ‘Many statements by Mr. Lloyd George in the British parliament de- serve serfous attention. The long ex- change of views which I have had with him formerly and now his out- spoken declarations have convinced me -that, of .all the statesmen who * drew up the treaty of Versailles, he was the most farsighted. In some cases-he was the only one who ac- tually , foresaw the dangers lurking in the future. These dangers have mow become evident_ even to those whose minds hdd been darkened by rhetoric and whom violence had brougtit down to the level of brutes. " (Copyright, 1831) Society News HOUSE WILL DEBATE ADDING 25 MEMBERS Reapportionment Bill—Arguments For and Against Measure. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. OUSE LEADER MONDELL, in announcing the repub- lican legislative program, has stated that an effort will be made this week to pass the “reap- postionment bill,” which provides for an increase of twenty-five members in the House, or from 435 to 460. There seems to be a pretty gen- eral sentiment among the republican forces that this measure will be passed, although some of the most prominent and serious members are outspokenly against increasing fur- ther the size of the House—such men a8 Representative Joseph Walsh of Massachusetts, who substitutes as Speaker in the absence of Represen- tative Gillett, and Representative Martin B. Madden, chairman of the appropriations committee. Members coming back from a few weeks among the people, however, are giving their colleagues a warn- ing that the people of the country are opposed to a further increase in the size of the House on two principal grounds—(1) that it means at’least a half million dollars more a year in actual costs, and (2) that it will make the legislative body too cumbersome for good and eflicient legislation. Coupled with this is a growing sen- timent among those who watch Con- gress most closely that the salaries of the present 435 members of the House and 96 members of the Senate should be increased sufficiently, at least, to cover their actual expenses, before 25 more are put on the pay roll. It is prominent citizens and good business men outside of Con- gress who are principally express- ing their conviction. ‘It is not mem- bers of Congress who hope thus to get their own salaries increased. The few members who are ready to ex- press an opinion are those who are preparing to leave Congress, have no personal motive. Some day soon several leaders on both sides (republican and democratic) are go- ing to be brave enough to stand up on the floor and openly advocate a living wage for themselves. so they Expenses of a Member. Some years ago when the present salary was fixed a member could come pretty near living on it, and he was not obliged to spend anything like the amount of time on the job, attending sessions daily, as now. In recent years members have had to spend practically all their time at- tending sessions of the House and Senate or committee meetings. It is practically impossible today for a member to continue actively in pri- vate business. A member of Congress has to main- tain two establishments—one in his district and the other here in Wash- ington. He has to entertain constitu- ents here and help support campaign organizations at home, besides donat- ing very frequently to church and charitable affairs. Today a member's salary does not cover his expenses. especially if he is at all active and prominent in attending to the busi- ness for which his constituents sent him here. So today the feeling among those who know Congress best is that those who are faithfully serving their home people here should be given a living wage before twenty-five new mem- bers are sent to invent new avenues of approach to the federal Treasury. They figure that the extra cost of the proposed twenty-five new members should go a long way toward giving the present number of 435 more ade- quate salai If the re. )rtionment bill, which House Leade 'ndell says is coming up this week, 1o defeated, it will be principally on the ground that now is no time to increase the expenses of government. Under the proposed reapportion- ment two states, Maine and Missouri, would each lose a member, and the members: Arkansas, one; California, four; Connecticut, one; Georgia, one; 'Illlnois. one; Massachusetts, one Michigan, three; New Jersey, two New Mexico. one; New York. two; | May Be United States e YHOERWAOD COL. WILLIAM BOYCE THOMPSON, New York banker and chalrman of the Roosevelt memorial commisslon. Col. Thompson has traveled ively in Europe and he was in when the woviet revolutionists over- threw the Keremsky government, be- ing them head of the American Red Cross mission to Russia, Ambassador to Germany |1 North Carolina, one; Ohio, three; Oklahoma, one; Pennsylvania, two; Texas, two, and Washington, one. The reapportionment is figured on a total population of 105.708,771 and a ratio of 228,882 constituents for each rep- resentative. Cost of Proposed Increase. Roughly figured from actual appro- priations, the first cost of maintain- ing each of the 435 present members of the House is $17,489 for such items as salaries of members, secretaries and clerks, printing and binding, maintenance of House oftice building, and the House's share of these other expense#—Capitol power plant, Cap- itol police, legislative drafting serv- ice, joint committee on printing and care of the Capitol building and grounds. Those on the census committee, un- der the leadership of Representative Louis W. Fairfield, republican, of In- diana, who are opposed to the in- crease and who contend that the House should remain at 435 mem- bers, have figured that the proposed measure would, if adopted, increase the salaries for members $187,500 an- nually; clerk hire, $92,000, and adding to this the mileage, franks (telegraph and postage), stationery allowance, etc., an additional force for mainte- nance of quarters, the total annual expense on account of the additional members would be in the neighbor- hood of $500,000. They also emphasize that today, both in the Capitol and the House office building, conditions are such that additional members cannot be conveniently provided for in either building. The increased membership, if authorized, must undoubtedly se- cure quarters elsewhere, and any makeshift arrangement would be only temporary. The erection of a new office building at a cost of $4.600,000 or $5.000,000 would be a possible ne- cessity. ‘When the proposal is made to au- thorize the election of twenty-five new members of the House the pub- lic generally does not appreciate off- hand what it will mean in actual cost A carefully prepared bill shows that on actual prices for furnishing of- fices with desks, chairs, typewriters, filing cabjnets, rugs, clectric lamps, telephones and stationery allowance, the bill for twenty-five new members would be about $65,000. These are not guess figures—they are actual “cost’ figures taken from the Accounts o. the House. Other Expense Involved. But even this additional burden u. cost on the government is not the whole reason why those who want tv keep their pledge to the people for reduction rather than increase ol government expenses are opposed Lo legislating twenty-five new Tepre- sentatives into seats in the House. They realize that there would be twenty-five more to frank out fars ers’ bulleting, year books and other government publications. It is esti- mated that this hittie service alone costs Uncle Sam more than $2,000 per cougressman. The big point raised by tnose who claim they are speakiug the wishes of the taxpayers of tne country in opposing any increase iu the size of the House is that the con- templated bill would mean twenty- five more making various defiands for river and harbor improvements, for new federal bu.idings, for bridges, for highways and for all forms of patronage. It would mean twenty- five additional men scheming new ways in which to inveigle money out of the United States Treasury. Additional clerical force and equip- ment allowed to the members since the beginning of the worid war costing annually in the neignbornveu of $1,000,000. Tnose who are opposing an in- crease in membership polut out that without lncrease tne states wul St mamiain that Proportionat rep- an following sixteen states would gain|resentation v wWoich Loey are eniticd accoraing 1o population and pro- visions oi the Constituis Lacnce wo injustice would ‘be done. kighteen states have heretofore nad their cou- gressional representation reauced by various apportionment acts, severai of them more than once. ‘the membe - shop of the House was reduced in 4. 1t was not until 1880 that the prac- tice of apportionment 0 that no stace would lose any of its represeiiativ became an apparent policy of Co gress. Prior to that time it was common to reduce the numbér of rep- resentatives in various states. The result of this policy of taking care of the states so that none of tlgem would lose representatives is that the House has reached, if not passed, the opponents of increased membership argue, its extreme limit in member- ship for proper functioning. —_— A AIR RACES RESTRICTED. Army Planes Not to Take Part in State Fair Tests. In the general purpose of the pro- tection of spectators, Secretary Weeks has directed that Army airplanes shall not take part in races or other com- petitive contests at state fdirs or similar public affairs where many peo- ple are assembled. He based his ob- jections on lack of personnel, mate- rial and general uselessness from a military standpoint “of testing the speed of aircraft by racing. The Secretary sald this pelicy would tens- | be continued at least until next year, and that he had been compelled to ap- ply it to appeals from the Agricul- tural Department for use of planes in fire patrol work through the national forests and reservations of the west.