The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-18
SEES GREAT TAX REVOLT IN AMERICA Merchants Association Head Declares P eople Showing Vital Interest
 In Taxation
 POLITICIANS BLAMED. FOR HEAVY BURDEN Says Citizens Moving To Protect Themselves Against Governe
 mental Extravagance DIAGNOSES PRESENTPRICES Points Out That Ultimate Re suit Of Heavy Taxes Is To
 Increase Unemployment
POLITICIANS BLAMED FOR HEAVY BURDEN
DIAGNOSES PRESENTPRICES
By JAMES MCLEAN

N0y 1eaeo0 Wno 70 A&e.kseraio(
 CHICAGO, Jan. 1.-The Amer ican people, evincing greater in- terest in taxation than at any time since the Boston tea party, are re- volting against the s'blundering politicians" who have loaded them down "with, 8 tax burden greater in amount than that ever borne by a nation since history began" de- clared Lewis E. -Pierson, president of the Merchants association of New York, in an address before the Chicago Bankers association Thurs day night.
 The response that greeted Sec retary Mellon's proposal to reduce federal taxes has deep significance, ? >Pierson said.
 Tt means that the people are grow ing restive under their tax burden 1; that they are beginning to see that gov- ernment extravagance is a menace to themselves, their homes and their country" he continued. "The average man has come to the conclusion that one of the ways to reduce his own liv- ing costs is to secure reduction in the cost of his government.
 People Enraged
 The American people are moving to protect themselves. And when they move, the needless official, the blunder- politician must give them the right of way, for they are moving to safeguard the future of their country"
 Out of a national income of $5S,OOO,- 100000 in 1922, $7,OO0, 100000 was taken for federal, state, county and To- cal taxes, the speaker pointed out.
 This shows," he said, "that SIP out of every $100 was used to pay ex- penses of the government"
 The only reason that the country did not, rise against its tax burden long ago is because most American taxes are indirect
 The worker pays a large share of all taxes, and somewhere and somehow every dollar of government taxes tends to increase the cost of living" Busi- ness expansion is handicapped also for. the snrtaxes are diverting capital away from industry into tax exempt bonds.
 Effect On Worker
 "The effect upon the workers, there fore, Is that their Government is not only making them pay excessive prices for everything that they buy with their wages, but, in addition. by imposts on, industry is making present jobs less secure and future jobs less certain" he said.
 .'The United States, because of its tremendous wealth has been able thus far to stand the strain, but in England 100000 workmen cannot find employ ment."
 Pierson advocated as a remedy for this situation that all candidates for public office be required to pledge themselves not to contract debts ex- ceeding 75 per cent of the indebtedness paid off during any year and to avoid any increase in government expenses and payrolls not necessitated by nat ural growth of government functions. sults," he declared, ''by determined, in- telligent and continued opposition to any public officer who will not join in the effort to reduce taxation.'