Show TAXES AND LEGISLATION B By L L. II Hollenbeck The legislative drift is for too much legislation Legislative e acts are continually con can infringing on personal liberty and creating more taxes It is now now proposed proposed pro pro- I posed to have hn a n license tax for chauffeurs chauffeurs chauff chauff- eurs and issue them licenses and probably probably pro pro- babl bably on an examination Such a law lawIs lawIs lawis Is another scheme to collect more taxes and provide for tor collectors and pay them thew salaries and increase the taxes That has hus the appearance of being a amere amere amere mere graft gruft bill A la law laV V should be passed passed pass pass- ed subjecting a man to a fine should he violate the speed provision and also also also al al- al- al so that he should be prohibited from driving an automobile for a n definite period as ns a n punishment but the public should have hu n a right to drive a car nr without paying a fee The ability to pass an nn e examination is not the test of safet safety on the road A man can pass an examination and yet have poor judgement and be unsafe on the road You cannot look into a n mans man's mind and md find out whether he is alert and quick of decision and has good judgement judge me ment t to take immediate and safe measures in an emergency The mans man's 8 r d I rec record rd on the road is the only safe test A new man on the road roan may oe be I much safer than an old experienced driver Legislation should not be he to toglee glee give licenses but to prohibit a man mandr dr driving drIng Ing for a period at least as a n punishment for carelessness or inefficiency on the road with a possible permanent prohibition as a n to be determined by the facts We do donot donot donot not punish a man for a n crime that he ml might ht do but for a crime rime that he has tuis done No man knows what will happen happen happen hap hap- pen until after it happens To prohibit a man man from having ing full rights beforehand beforehand beforehand before before- hand as ns a rule Is not sound Of course 3 a child who has not developed sufficient sufficient le t Judgement should be prohibited That Is what we know but when we come to a point that we do 10 not know then w we cannot cannot- act until something I happ happens ns that that causes us to form judg jUdg- ments People eople often say that a legislature should not ot meet oftener than ten years and denounce it for passing so many bu bum laws and criticise its constant infringement on personal liberty and Its conscious and unconscious raising the tax burden by innocent looking I bills bills that are little suspected of increasIng increasing increasing in in- creasing the tax burden but often have that effect No wonder the people kick and much of this is caused by idealIsts idealists idealists ideal ideal- who have an ax to grind and who th think that th their h. h particular hobby must become a law to save sa civilization from destruction This is the weak point In a republic Our constitution should have rigid limitations to the tax power But we have ha lifted the limitations We re have given ghen the legislature legis lature for all time a vote ote of ence Let us hope that we will not repent repent repent re- re pent in sack cloth and ashes |