Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-07-17
Observation-Disclosures.
; Comment and Criticism
Observation-Disclosures

Secretary Mellon says; with the
new tax exempt securities, issued at
the rate of a thousand million dollars
year, and with other means Of
escaping the income tax, the wealthy
need no guardian"
Mr.. Mellon has been regarded as
extremely friendly to the class he
mentions. In fact, he Is rated as hay-
ing several hundred millions himself.
From this one should gather that ut
teranees quoted above do not come
from some agitator or propertyless
outcast.
Senator Couzens Of Michigan, who
rarely agrees with the Secretary Of
the Treasury, also has something to
say about the removal Of tax impost
on Salaried men and wage eafners
whose income Is less than $1,000 a
year. He says the income from that
source is small and not worth the
trouble and expense of collecting.
From these two expressions one
might gather that there will be move
toward lax reform that may be more
than a gesture.
Tax exempt securities, which are
the refuge of the wealthy class who
successfully seek this means of avoid
ing their share in the burdens of the
country, should be abandoned. or
course, that means big fight. An
appeal will be made to the COnstitu-
ton, and the cry of confiscation will
lend the ambient air.
To shift the burden from the mill
lions who toll to the few who do not
will mean a conhictfraught with great
bitterness and vigorous resistance.
But the remedy still lies in the hands
of those upon whose shoulders the
burden falls.
The remedy is available and the is
sue is not obseured. The only ques-
ton is how long apathy and indif-
ference hold the people in this bond-
age.
The danger to farmers coopefatives
Ct the suspension OF the Packers
Consent Decree, which has been APP
pealed to the Department of Justice,
Federal Trade Commission ordering
the Wisconsin Cooperative Creamery
Association to cease and desist from
alleged unfair trade practices In
dfscouraging the use of oleomafgarine
and encouraging the use of butter.
Oleomargarine has long been pet
of the meat packers. The Federal
Trade Commission in its report on the
meat packing industry in 1918 ex-
posed the fact that the big meat pack
els had a joint unaudited legislative
expense account. 1t gave the percent
ages of this account" paid by several
of the big meat packers to protect the
oleomargarine business.
The Wisconsin Creamery Assocla-
ton adopted a resolution asking deal
ers not to handle oleomargarine and
urging the citizens of Polk County to-
eliminate the use of butter substitutes.
One creamery stopped selling butter
at Wholesale prices to the consumer
after compliance with this request.
The meat packers must be chortllng
over this action of the Trade Commits
sion, which was able to see unfair
trade practices" in this action of the
Wisconsin Creamery Association.
Farmer cooperatives must see the
handwriting on the wall. The meat
packers succeeded in securing pro-
vision in the packer and stockyafds
act prohibiting the Federal Trade
Commission from investigating their
trade practices. The Department of
Agriculture can't detect them nor cor
rect them. The meat packers have
ignored most basic requirements of
the consent decree, but if it should be
suspended they will be free practically
to be a law unto themselves until real
packer control legislation is passed.
50
"The recent sultry, oppressive
W ather serves to illustrate the great
boon of prohibition" remarks the Viii
mington' Del, Labor Herald, which
goes on to say:
prior to 1918 the worker, his shirt
turned down at the collar, would have
found pleasant relief from such wealth
Ell in the quaffing of cold beer, under
a revolving fan and enjoying the good
fellowship of fellow workers. Now,
thanks to prohibition, he doesn't have
to put up with such iniquity. Beer has
been replaced with horrible tiat-tast-
ing concoction, near beer, far more
infammatory to the man accustomed
to drinking beer than the most potent
hootch. A sip of this near beer has
been known to sink a man to such
depths of despair and disgust that he
has been heard to curse the institution
of prohibition.
"rhe man with taste for beer
cares little for liquor. His is harm
less habit, and he is fully aware of II.
Consequently, his disapproyal of pro-
hibtion, especially when he looks
about and sees the ease with which
colored alcohol, synthetic gin, carbolic
acid Scotch, etc, can be bought.
Prohibition seems to have little
effect on the sale of these poisons--
but beer, that's something else again.
The whole business lends credence to
the definition that a porhibtionist is
one who dislikes to see nayone enjoy
ing himself or be comfortable"