-gold, silver or paper. The history of the United States bank. Banking in the United States: State banks, national banks, and private banks, and their issues of bank notes. The history of international monetary conferences.

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE.

Does bullion differ in any respect from the other commodities employed in commercial exchanges?

Should the Federal government have a constitutional power to issue legal-tender paper money in time of peace?

Is it to the public interest that the national government should issue any form of currency during times of peace?

Should the national bank bills be retired and replaced by a new issue of greenbacks?

Is the use of legal-tender notes by the Federal government nominally redeemable in coin subject to dangers as great as the use of irredeemable notes ?

Does the value of bullion ultimately rest on the cost of production ?

Does the value of a coin depend upon the law which constitutes it a legal tender, or upon the weight of metal contained in the coin? Is the maintenance of a double standard of value in exchanges practicable?

Could bi-metallism be maintained by the United States without the co-operation of European nations? Or by international agreement?

What are the advantages (or disadvantages) of mono-metallism, and if mono-metallism is the better system should gold or should silver be the standard?

If bi-metallism were adopted, how could the ratio of value between the two metals be maintained?

Is it expedient to continue to issue legal-tender silver dollars of +12 grains in limited quantities ?

Ought 412 grains silver to make an American dollar?

Would there be any advantage in holding the larger part of the metallic reserve as bullion, and issue as coin only such a part as is needed or called for?

Would the free coinage of silver at the present standard be a public advantage, provided the coin were a legal tender in sums not exceeding $3?

Is there any public necessity for legal-tender laws?

Are legal-tender acts just or politic?

Is the basing of the national currency on United States bonds as collateral security in accordance with the laws of sound finance? What will be the effect of paying off the national debt on the stability of the national banks?

Should national banks be rechartered as their present charters expire ?

Should they be compelled by law to secure their circulation with those United States bonds bearing the lowest rate of interest?

Ought the government to tax the circulation and deposits of national banks?

Is it a legitimate function of government to require banks to protect their deposits and depositors by holding a reserve of notes or bonds for such purpose?

If so, why should not a like interference be exercised in respect to private banks and bankers, and to all fiduciary corporations in which the interests of large numbers of citizens are involved?

Is the prohibition of loans by national banks on security of real estate based on sound views of the functions of banking?

Is banking a legitimate function of a free government ?

Are post-office savings banks a desirable, practicable and proper function of government?

Is the general fall in prices of commodities during recent years in any degree attributable to a scarcity of money or to the appreciation of gold?

If due to the scarcity of gold, what effect will this have on the well-being of different classes in the community?

Public debts of Europe and America, past and present.

Public

debts of American cities, with comparison of rates of interest paid, and statutory limitations (if any) of indebtedness.

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE.

Is it any advantage to a government to have a sinking fund? Should the annual appropriation for the sinking fund be embodied and kept as a separate fund or be applied directly in payment of indebtedness?

Is the annual appropriation for the sinking fund necessary to keep good faith with the government's creditors?

Which should be first paid, the bonded debt of the United States or the debt which does not bear interest?

Is it practicable to refund the debt of the United States at lower rates than those now paid by the government?

What is likely to be the average rate of interest on government securities of the United States for the next quarter of a century? On what will this rate of interest depend?

As the rate of interest paid on new municipal loans is much less than that paid by individual borrowers, would it not be advantageous for a city or town to borrow all it could expend to advantage in paving, lighting and the like?

Is it constitutional for voters to bond their counties, towns, and cities, or for the people to vote and impose taxes in aid of rail roads, manufacturing or other private companies or corporations? Is it expedient?

A tax. A tribute.
dence of taxation.
Cadaster.
A stamp tax.

Poll tax.

ΤΑΧΑΤΙΟΝ.

TERMS FOR DEFINITION.

An arbitrary exaction or spoliation. InciDirect taxes. Indirect taxes. Assessment. Legacy and succession taxes.

An excise tax.

SUBJECTS FOR ESSAYS.

The history “The single

Adam Smith's canons of taxation, with comment. of Federal taxation during the Civil War, 1861-65. tax on land values." The methods whereby taxes on imports, on income and on land tend to diffuse themselves. The relations of taxes to profits and wages, and to national welfare. Progressive taxes in the city of Basle and the canton of Vaud.

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE

Who pays the taxes on commodities, the primary taxpayer— capitalist, land owner, laborer, artisan or professional man, as such -or the ultimate consumer of the commodities?

Do all taxes tend to diffuse themselves, or do any rest upon the individual, or property, upon which they are primarily assessed?

Is it necessary to assess every article of value at an equal or corresponding rate in order to tax an entire community equitably?

Is a tax on farming lands and mines in proportion to their próductiveness one which can be shifted to the consumer or which rests upon the owner?

Should taxes be levied exclusively on the value of land?

Should the registration of leases be compulsory as a basis for taxation ?

Can an income tax be assessed equally and with justice ?

Is a graduated income tax just or expedient?

Ought taxes on personal property to be abolished?

Ought poll taxes to be abolished?

Does the taxation of capital used in trade and manufactures decrease the opportunities for employment among laborers ?

Does a tax on capital tend to drive it where no such tax exists? Is the taxation of foreign capital a greater detriment to a country than the collection of the tax is a benefit ?

Is it politic for a State to impose a tax which is easily evaded? Is it politic to impose high taxes on articles like distilled or fermented spirits, tobacco, or opium ?

Is the taxation of banks' shares in addition to the taxation of bank capital a double taxation ?

Is the taxation of both lands and mortgages just or politic?
Are credits proper subjects of taxation ?

Should a tariff be levied exclusively for revenue?

Should it be collected on a few articles easily assessable?

Should the United States internal taxes be abolished and a pro rata tax be assessed on the several States, to be collected by their officers for the national government ?

Should the national, State, or municipal legislatures be restricted in their power to levy taxes? If so, how and to what extent ?

Should they be inhibited from giving subsidies, or granting lands or other public property to private individuals or corporations?

Will the remission of State, county and municipal taxes to favor special manufactures contribute to establish such enterprises on a basis of permanent prosperity?

Is such discriminative remission of taxes contrary to equity? To the constitution? To the public advantage?

Is it better to tax capital than income?

Is it just to exempt church property from taxation, especially when such property is held for commercial profit ?

Is it right to impose a probate tax (legacy duty) increasing in rate with the amount of an estate?

Is it right for taxes to be imposed with intent to equalize the fortunes of citizens?