Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-04-13
Timely Political Notes.

There are approximately eight million
workers out Of employment now in the
United States, according to figures sab
mitted to tie Senate by Senator Henrik
Shipstead, Of Minnesota. few days ago
Senator Shipstead called the attention OF
the Senate and the country TO the misleading
statement as to unemployment made to
the Senate by Secretary OF Labor Divis 10
an official communication to that body.
Secretary Davis quoted Ethelbert Stewart.
Commissioner Of Labor Statistics. as say
ing the number Of unemployed at this time
h l,674.050. What Commissioner Stew
art reported was that the number Of people
idle had increased by 1874. 050 since 1925.
Adding this total to the shrinkaee in en-
ployment from 1920 to 1925. Senator Ship
stead finds that approximately eight mil
lion are now idle who were employed in
1920. the last year OF the Wilson admin
istration.
Further refutation Of the Coolidge ad.
ministration claims Of general prosperity
Is found In the latest report on commercial
failures made by R. G. Dun G Co. For the
week ending March 20. Dun's report showed
total 54S business failure in the coun-
try. an increase Of 80 over the number in
the preceding week and OF 81 over the
number Of failures during the correspond
ing week Of 1927. In Canada, the number
OF failures for the week covered showed a
decrease compared with the same week of
1927.
Former Secretary Of State Charles Z.
Hughes declined to make the keynote
speech at the Kansas City G. o. P. Con.
vention. He once defended Newberry and
Newberryism, but doesn't care TO tackle
the task Of defending the Teapot Dome
vi Lease. nor the Washington Naval Con.
Terence. Of which be was the chief figure,
as result Of which three hundred million
dollars worth OF first-class American bat
tleships were strapped. He prefers to leave
such thankless jobs to somebody with
thicker hide. So it is that Senator Simeon
D. Fess. Of Ohio. has been chosen. Un-
doubleday. one Of the qualifications of the
Ohio Senator for the delicate task Of key
noting Is his confessed willingness to tell
when necessary, things that are not entirely
true. Not long ago. on the floor Of the
Senate. Senator Fess admitted that in an
interview be gave newspaper men he told
what was not true. in order to get il
acrosa As il will be necessary in key
noting" at the Kansas City Convention, to
either evade lot Of damnine truths about
the record Of the last seven years or say
what was not true" Senator Fess is the
ideal man for the job.
The stand OF Secretary Mellon and his
chief. President Coolidge. on tax reduction.
as outlined by the former to the Senate
Finance Committee. Is inconsistent. Either
the prosperity Of which they boast does
not exist. OF the Treasury can stand tax
reduction in the amount Democrats are
ursins. nearly 5000. 100000. 10 another
respect. the President and Secretary of the
treasury are inconsistent. They STRONGLY
oppose the repeal Of the automobile tax,
as provided In the House Bill, passed BY
democrats and Independent Republican,
because they say the Treasury cannot
stand the loss Of the money derived from
'nat tax, but In almost the same breath
urge repeal Of the estate tax. Democrats
favor the automobile tax repeal, because
1t 10 tax on transportation and affects
twenty million automobile owners. who
pay the tax. On the other hand, the estate
tax reaches only very large estates. and
Is relatively light tax at that. Secretary
Mellon Is certainly open to the CHARGE Of
inconsistency when he urges that the
automobile tax must be retained because
the Treasury needs the money, and at the
same time argues that the Treasury can eet
along without the estate tax, in which
only very wealthy persons are interested
Also. the President and Secretary Of the
treasury are wrong when they say it is
the automobile industry that is most in.
teFested In the motor tax repeal. Il is a
salss tax. added to the price of the cal
ana Is paid by the purchaser. The manu-.
facturer does not absorb a penny of II,
IL Is consumers tax. not tax on a large
industry. which may explain Mr.. Mellon.
opposition to Its repeal