The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-04-23
FORD is FORCEFUL IN
DENOUNCING SALES TAX
Says Economics Condemn Plan; Is
lacked by Wall Street
Bankers

Cetroit, April 23--Henry Ford comes
out squarely in opposition to the
proposed Sales Tax He denies the
1lan is being pushed by an insldious
Wall street propagander He denonnces
the scheme as one by which banking
group seeks to shift the burden of
81 900 100000 from the shoulders OF
those best able to pay it to the
shoulders Of those least able to pay it.
In the current issue OF Mr. Ford's
paper says:
The proposition to substitute what is
known as "sa cs turnover tax
for the present excess profits tax is
being energetically pushed by means
of wide spread and insidous propa
ganda Back Of this propaganda, on
/ thier own admission, Is Wall Street
group led by Otto H. Kahn, Jules
! Semon Bache. and Meyer Rothsehi,d.
! Summed up IN sentence, the scheme
is one to shift the burden OF from
$500 900. 900 to billion dollers of take
now paid by those best able TO pay it
to the shoulders of those least ah c IL
pay & -
What Is worse. the form of the tax
is such that by the time ii came to the
ultimate consumer it would be very
likely to have been loaded as well as
"pyramided' to such an extent that
it would be increased anywhere from
% to 80 per cent at each turnover.
That is, in order to get one billion
dollars into the national treasury, the
already overburdened consumer would
be bled to the extent OF four or five
billion dollars yearly or approximately
$40 for every man. woman and child
in the United stat IS 5000 for the
average family OF five
IN the hearings before the House
Committee on Industrial Taxation. the
n.quty Of this proposed measure was
made plain nv the testimony CT gcur0s
Of competent tax experts aud Adversely
reported on by Mr.. loueton then $50.
Rotary OF the Treasury After thor
oughly and impartia ly pur uei ittes-
tigat ors. it was rejected as Gaiudt
Iaud impractical by the National In
idus trial Conference Board represent
tHE itlE HitditSl iiiuuAki lul VI kfiiilAatlbit
n the country through committee
OF qualified experts. 1t was also I'm.
qualifedly and unanimously condemn.
ed by the United States Chamber of
Commerce through its committee of
nine authorities OF national reputation.
In fact the Kahn Bache group of fin.
anciers are its only sponsors.
Congressman James A. Frear Of Wis.
consin Is alb ana iearlessly lighting
the attempt of these bankers and brok-
ers TO relieve profteers, who are abe
to put their millions into tax-eXempt
bonds, from Their jut share of the
tax burden and to place 1t upon the
country's productive workers. In a
speech which should have the widest
possible circulation he merclessly an
alyzes the measure and exposes the
true inwardn ess of the motives of
its chief backerS. He should have
the hearty support in this fight of
every man who does not wish to see
imposed in this country an utterly un.
democratic sales tax on the necessi
ties Of lie, which, in the words of one
of the greatest international authoTi-
ties on taxation, 'woud evoke po-
litical struggle the like of which we
have never seen in this country, repre-
senting as 1t would an attempt to put
an undue burden upon the consumer,
instead of the possessor of wealth"
There is better way-a way which
we must come to eventually, much as
tax dodgers and Shutters may dislike
t.