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Show THE CITIZEN 6 just such commercial depression as now distresses the country. Such a tax invites the investor to buy tax free securities and withhold by so much the capital that otherwise he would use to develop his business or to establish a new business. These are factors of the excess profits tax that have affected the development of the country adversely and have limited the opportunities of labor. It has been estimated, we know not with what accuracy, that $14,000,000,000 of American capital is invested in tax free securities. A great part of this astounding total should be stimulating industry and providing wages for labor. M. R. Bourne, an American transacting business in the Philippine islands, declares that the operation of the sales tax in that country has proved satisfactory to the islanders. It provides about $7,000,-00- 0 annually for governmental use. Mr. Bourne reckons that a similar tax in this country would produce about $2,000,000,000 a year, lie writes of it as the simplest and most efficient form of business tax. From the retailers viewpoint its merit lies in its certainty and simplicity. He does not have to wait a year to know how much he must pay to his' government. At the end of each day he learns just what he owes and he pays quarterly. He is not forever wandering about in a financial fog wondering what he must pay in taxes at the end of the year and fearful lest he will not have enough liquid capital left to expand his business; fearful, indeed, lest he may be compelled to curtail his operations and lay off help. Moreover, in a lean year following a good year the business man is at his wits end to know where to get the money with which to pay his taxes. narrow margin of profit. There is no question but that roads would stimulate business by lowering rates, but they j while making the experiment. It is essential for their existed costs be proportioned to revenues and so long as the present and rates of wages are paid it would seem impossible to loVet The railways, like all other businesses, are going throu, process of readjustment. It is probable that when the adjn nears its level costs and revenues will be commensurate. AS A WAR LORD LLOYD-GEORG- E Once more the worthlessness of the League of Nations demonstrated. At the instigation of Lloyd George the Germans are war on the Poles. Apparently it never crossed the mind of George that he should call upon the league to preserve peace, why should it? Has not the league its own armed Upper Silesia fighting the Poles? The British premier is one of the authors of the to maintain peace. Of him it might have been expected tl jj would set in motion every possible agency to prevent a net Instead, he made a firebrand speech in parliament and prac invited the Germans to attack the Poles. I These are damning proofs of the hypocrisy of some of tho; K Hr formulated the covenant. so-call- ed in lk As a sporting proposition we would like to ask Mr. Edist one question and we would like to have him agree to a rating per cent or zero. What is the aurora borealis? FATE OF THE RAILROADS Hi Bey It will be a sad day for the nation if the railroads revert to government control, and yet Senator Cummins, who did much to restore private control, says the railroads cannot last, if 1920 revenues from operation are to continue. The spirit of our people is opposed to government ownership. Few of us were satisfied with federal control and most of us longed for the day when the railroad companies would take back their property. Since the reversion to the private companies the roads have given more satisfactory service in both the passenger and freight departments. If the government takes control again we shall witness a repetition of the execrable service that caused so much satisfaction during and immediately after the war. dis- But the railways are not paying and if they continue to lose money the only alternative will be government control. Whether this devoutly detested outcome is to befall depends upon whether hard times continue for long. The railways are crippled because of federal mismanagement and waste and because of the hard times. They were in a weakened condition when the financial depression came upon us and if that depression continues for many months the railroads will soon be in such a condition that the federal undertaker will have to be called in. If the railways can weather the financial storm private ownership is apt to prove successful once more. All lines of business are hit hard. When a business house or a bank suffers from lack of earnings it closes its doors and the community does not feel the stress for long. But railways must go on forever. The commercial life of the country depends upon the uninterrupted functioning of the transportation lines. And if all the railways fail at once there is no alternative but government control. Just now we are at what Keats might call the nadir deep of the financial depression. We are apt to make pessimistic forecasts and nothing could be more melancholy from a business viewpoint than a forecast of government control of the railways. But we should take heart of hope. A revival of business in the near future will give the railways an opportunity to make good. Whether the railways shall charge high rates or low rates will be determined by circumstances. They can charge high rates in prosperous times and make profits on a limited amount of business. But when business depression comes it is sometimes the part of wisdom to lower rates and obtain a great volume of business at a miles of: The Y. M. C. A. at Sioux City furnished forty-tw- o last year, but the church folk are still demanding that the tc r nd cleaned up. ne would win and Carpentier was asked who he thought thought he would, but he will be allowed a sober second d he to ? thonjafi IS Carpentier, it is reported, will do his training behind doors. He will wish that he had the closed doors on July 1 In Paris it is proposed, quite naturally, to end the age by building the houses longer. The northern lights seem to be as eccentric as til P house The revolution in Tobasco has been suppressed, but while it lasted. Natural gas has been discovered in Costa Rica and of another revolution. le it if. there m i: moonshine VA CA TION TIME ft, be. With syne it is now here; with others it is soon to In the canyons at your summer cottage or at your ur hotel, or with friends or loved ones, he sure favor-resor- t and- - The Citizen follow you we will mail it to you without cxtr.i corf, doir wc know you would like to keep posted on the socmI of the day. Our reviews of happenings of times ami editorm comment on conditions will help you pass many plea ant utes reading the columns of this magazine. The CITIZEN PUBLISHING COMPANY 2 Ness Bldg., Suite Phone Wasatch Salt Lake City, Utah. 311-31- c u it is jq |