Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-02-14
ssasement BY Joseph W. Byrns.

IF the things that have occurred in the
last year had taken place with Democrat
in the White House. and present economic
conditions existed with that party in power,
not q Republican spokesman or organ but |
would be crying about Democratic hard |
times. says statement issued by the |
: nemo-ratic National Congressional Com
mitsee, OF ~hich Representative Joseph W. |
Erns. q lnessee, is Chairman.
IL hss hes0me difficult TO tell the differ
snce between Republican prosperity and
so-calied Democratic panic. the gtate-
nent continues.
viii steadily growing Capitalization of |
powerat Washington. the multiplication
af boards and commissions. many Of them
a. nth great power to control or affect the
s;urrents OF business, the Federal admins.
tration 10 in large degree responsible for
- economic conditions During recent years.
,hef <try has heard -s,sa about 'Repub-
'''a' i've cents When prosperity existed
cigar, but, administration claimed
sum eVer the same logic. II mus,
en- an oul ue.s:lity for adverse conditions
we use nofen prosperity and there is
ripe tobaccw, but il is not general.
out in your no harm to point out that
ripe nor are making large profits
iow.n;IS tate Of depression, some Of
choice tonctual losses One has but
do it? Vfecent Treasury Department
Havg,.a 1928 income tax returns to
PdcLn1f erity has been in the main
lie the masses, the average
,, clerks and farmers, End the
difficult
1928 showed the number of
I'll q net income Of one million
more increased from 900 in
In 1928. Their total net in
more than one billion dollars. 40
ximately 500 individuals had
,bout per cent the total in
4 the more than four million
RSiek ng returns. Those with incomes
suiek'00 or more each. numbered
Buiclaheir total net income was about
NNuIA quarter billion dollars, or nearly
Nash the total income OF all the more
Ar million people who filed income
DDoaauns. PROFESSIONALLY these few
Dods,s. numbering only one in every
Ia. sssssssSdsand Of the total population, have
been prosperous. or were until the stock
market panic last fall.
But what Of the millions of farmers,
lsborins men. clerks. small struggling bust
ness men and Others.
at is the Democratic contention that
tariff favoTitism. and other favoritlsm In
Republican policies. legislative and admin
istrative. have enabled a few individuals
and special interests to gain huge incomes,
while the masses have to struggle to make
ends meet. What is true Of individuals is
also true of corporations. While Si.943
corporations reported a total net income
Of s4.2oS.556.4l4 for 1925. there were
S4.854 other corporations which had no
-at income whatever, but actually reported
deficit Of $754,27l.807. Tariff dis
elimination had much to do with that
Contrast with the huge incomes and
profits Of q few individuals and some OF
the giant corporations the condition OF the
farmer. The Department OF Agriculture
~ecrts for the crop year i926-20 that the
.pef farm reward for labor and manage
ment was only S66S. This mere pittance
I, is ali the return the average farmer got
Tor the labor Of himself and the members
\ Of his family. Meanwhile. his taxes were
going up. For every dollar the farmer
paid In taxes in 1918. he paid $2.42 in
1927 and $2.46 in 1928. His interest
( charges have also been increasing and
today. through the failure Of the Federal
Farm Bank system 10 function in the spirit
in which Il was intended 10 function. the
farmer is being made to pay larger interest
rates and heavy commissions on renewals
"Attenilon b@s already, been called to
-