The labor world., 1921-12-03
HOW LARSON VOTED.

At the general election held one year
ago the voters of the Eighth Minnesota
district turned down w. L. Carss and
/ elected in his place Oscar j. Larson
/ Mr.. Carss had served but one term and
in each and every instance he voted
just as the average man would have
him vote. His record was as cleai
+ as his eve is steady.
There have been only two or three
votes in the House since Mr.. Larson
became a member Of Congress that the
situation was critical, when the wheat
and the chaff separated, the wheat
going to the people and the chaff to
Wall street and big business.
One of these votes was cast during
the dying hours Of the special session.
1t was on the proposition as to whether
the House would accept the senate IS
amendment to the revenue bill relating
to the rate to be paid on income above
$G6,00N. The House provided for 80
per cent tax on such incomes and the
senate stood for 50 per cent tax.
President Harding stepped into the
breach with a letter to Congressman
Fordrey, stating that he personally
favored - per cent as tire maximum
rate, tut he believed all sides, shoukl
be willing to accept 40 per cent.
Fordncy read the letter to the House
during the debate, but it had no effect.
The struggle over the surtay was a
most interesting one. As the law now
stands the maximum surtax is IS per
cen:. The new revenue bill as passed.
hv the House, slashed the rate to b,
per cent. The senate reduced it to 80
per cent. An attempt was then made
to Effect compromise at 10 per cent
Congressman Frear Of Wisconsin lei
a revolt among the Republicans to
agree to the senate provision for 50
per cent. The regulars wanted to make
it 40 per cent. Frcar won. The vote
; on his motion was POI to 173. Ninety
two Republicans from the middle west
voted with the Democrats. Of the
Minnesota members seven voted with
the people and three voted with Wall
street. One of the three who voted
with Wall street and against tho peo.
pie was Oscar j. Larson of Duluth,
representing the Eighth Congressional
district. the man who was elected to
succeed William l.. Carss.
What the decrease in surtax means
to the multimillionairc-a we have
between 10000 and 10000 of the species
in this country just now-is shown by
the following figures.
500 taxpayer will, an income of ONT
million dollars would pay a tax Of
$663,l90 under the law as it is today.
Cnder the new law, as approved bv
the house the other day, he will pay
$o50,64O. Thus he will be ahead of the
game $ll22,350 year.
~ If the Harding compromise had pre-
vailed he would have paid only $461,-
$50.
If the - per cent rate originally put
through the house by Mondell and
Fordnev, had carried he would have
paid $3SS,470 or a saving of 1914, ,72O
;" per year as compared with the present
law.
Now can you see why certain inter.
csts made such a fuss over this surta,z
Issue?
Those labor men who voted against
Congressman Carss and for Oscar J.
Larson merely because Carss stood up
as real American and refused to vote
to seat Victor Berger in congress, and
hose Democrats who supported Larson
because they didn It want labor man
such as Carss to represent them in con
2ress, some of whom are still holding
down federal jobs for their treacherv
ought to feel proud of themselves, very
proud indeed.