The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-09-30
SEN. PENROSE
SNUJBS LABOR

Dear Friends: Senator Boies Pen
rose, chairman of the Finance Com
mittee late in August announced
that the Senate Committee on Fl
nance would not hold any public
hearings on the Revenue Bill which
passed the House. Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon. who appeared re-
Gently before the Committee in
Executive Session, stated that the
Administration first estimated the
national income needed for this yeaI
as S4,554, 100000 but said it was
decided to reduce this amount to
81 1000, 100000 in round figures.
This means that the Administra-
tion is committed to the policy OF
making smaller appropriations than
are needed now and later putting
in big deficiency appropriation bills.
Representative of the Peoples Re
construction League, the Farmers
National Council, the Transporta-
tion Group of Railway Employees.
and other Farm and Labor organi-
cations, called to see Senator Pen
rose on Friday, September 10th, to
ask him to give a hearing on this
Revenue Bill, but he refused even
to see them. The most important
fact about this is that the Senate
which is now serving as a sort of
check on the House, is deeply wor-
ried over the financial situation of
the country. 1t does not want the
lid taken off any more by unpleas-
ant witnesses such as the represen-
tatives of the Peoples Reconstruc-
tion League, who state the cold
facts about the enormous concen-
tration of wealth in this country,
and why it should be taxed.
AS our friends will remember,
Brother Clark, vice-president of the
Conductors and your Executive Sec
retary were severely taken to task
by Senator Penrose for doing this
I We proposed to do it again, but
the door has been slammed in ouI
faces. You will see the need fol
this publicity since Secretary Mellon
recommended a reduction of the
high income taxes to 25 per cent
beginning next January, although
they run at present up to 65 pei
cent. The secretary recommended
also the repeal of the Excess Profits
Tax for the present year beginning
January 1st. Secretary Mellon
made it perfectly clear that the ad-
ministration is going right ahead
with its plan to take the taxes off
concentrated wealth, and off the
big incomes, and make the workers
of this country and the men who
did the fighting, that is, those who
won the war, not only pay the full
cost of the war, but most of the
current cost of government as well
The $4,000 people who own near
ly one-third of the nations wealth
are determined to have the national
debt refunded for 40 to 60 years
This would cost the average family
about $4,000 extra taxes every yeaI
to pay interest alone on the Ma
tional Debt for many decades to
come.
The bill will be reported to the
Senate next week. Won't you inn
mediately write or telegraph bott
your u. S. senators and your Con.
gressman, asking them to insist thai
the Revenue bill levy a tax upor
inheritance and transfers of prop.
erty, which will yield at least 50,
00,000,000 year. and retain the
highest rates of tax levied on in,
come and Excess Profits Tax al
least until the whole cost of the
war has been paid. This will saw,
the average American family al
least $4,000 a year for a long
time to come
Packers Are Up to Their Old
Tricks
The big packers concentrated in
getting the Haugen bill through
Congress and signed, because they