The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-09-23
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The financial plight of the Ma
tional Government has created an
unusual opportunity to impress
some facts upon Congressman.
The present revenue law, with its
host of mean and petty taxes, its
burdens on labor, its interference
with trade, its hampering of in
dustry and thrift in countless ways,
and its inquisitorial features has
at last driven the patient and long
suffering American citizen to pro-
test. The protest has been made
silently. There have been no great
mass meetings, no scare heads in
the daily press, no articles in the
big magazines, no publicity of any
kind. What open agitation has APP
peared, outside Of the labor and rad
zeal press, has been for relief from
the features of the law irksome to
the very wealthy, but this has been
linked with demands for substitution
of taxes more oppressive upon the
poor. So little has the Administra-
ton been aware of popular feeling
on the subject that the Secretary
of the Treasury recently recommend
ed imposition of more taXes-on in
dustry, of course. Then something
happened. Congress rebelled. 1t
takes a very strong force to make
a Congressman refuse to obey or
ders from a recently installed ad-
ministration of his own party. The
Administration quickly surrendered
to the Congressional protests. The
congressman must have revealed
something to which Mr.. Mellon and
his colleagues had been blind.
To one thing only can this result
be attributed. congressman were
flooded with protests from consti-
tuents Under the circumstances
these letters had to be exceedingly
numerous to accomplish anything.
1t takes many expressions from con-
stituents to overrule the recommen-
dations of a member of the Cabi-
net. So when an average Con-
gresham refuses to obey orders we
know what must have happened.
So strong must these protests have
been, coming spontaneously from
individuals without knowledge of
each other, that Congress has be-
come panic-stricken and is hastily
trying to reduce taxation. While in
this chastened and humble frame
Of mind its attention should be
called to economic truths which, had
they not been ignored, would have
prevented popular discomfort and
saved the Treasury from its pres
ent plight.
Congress might have imposed a
land value tax four years ago in
stead of the collection of nuisance
taxes it imposed. Congressman
Crosser, of Ohio, had introduced a
bill to that effect at the time
Labor organizations, farmers or
CARNATIONS, many business organ
izations and many civic organiza-
tons had demanded such taxation.
No demand was openly made by
anyone for taxes on amusements,
on ice cream, railroad tickets, or
small incomes. But some myster-
ious influence made the then Sec
rotary Of the Treasury, Mr.. Mac
Adoo, accept the recommendation
of socalled economic experts" and
urge upon Congress the monstros-
ity that is now the revenue law in
stead of the legislation demanded
by popular organizations. Congress,
disregarding popular demands, slav-
ishly obeyed its masters voice.
The last Congress had a chance to
remedy this wrong by passing the
Nolan bill. 1t failed to do so.
The present Congress has an op-
portunity in the Keller bill for land
values taxation. BY passing that
bill many more iniquitOus taxes can
be repealed than are contemplated
in the bill approved by the Ways
and Means Committee.
These are the facts which Con-
gressmen should learn. This is the
psychological moment. Single Tax
ers should promptly take advantage
Of it. Write at once. Strike while
the iron is hottie Bulletin Of the
National Single Tax League