Evening star., 1931-04-16
Bingham Proposal Declared
Public Warming on Taxation

argues: Public officials in many cases
cannot be blamed for increased taxes.
They do not originate the plans and
projects for excessive expenditures from
the public Treasury. They are the VIC
Tins of unwise and insistent demands
of their constituents" OF the persons
behind the demands. the Haverhill Ga
zstte states: There isn't an article they
buy, or a transaction that they take
part in, in which some of the money
that they pay is not used for taxes. If
all thoroughly understood this fact,
governmental extravaganza might be
less"
1.-THE unorganized masses" maintains
the Charleston Is. c. Evening Post,
have little to say about what laws
shall or shall not be passed. Blocs.
groups, lobbieS. leagues, organizations
Of all kinds speak through their repre-
sentativeS to Congress and Congress
acts accordingly. If Senator Bingham
found a way to raise the deficit by tax
ing these organizations in proportion to
their lobbying efforts, the problem
would be solved" The Omaha Worlds
Herald charges that "they clamor to
have the tax shifted to other shoul-
ders"; that they do that in the face
of the fact that such shifting, when it
Goes take place. more often than not
results not actually in shift, but SIM
ply turns out to be more taxes" The
San Francisco Chronicle, however, feels
that warnings to look out for taxes,
like warnings to look out for dyspepsia
or cold in the head, are seldom
needed before it is too late" AS
to the next Congress, the Yakima
Daily Republic points to the pros
pect, that, with the general elec-
ton just around the corner. few will
be willing to accept the responsibility
of voting for measures that would make
tax increase inevitable"
Whether, all things considered" adj
vises the Baltimore Sun, "it is desirable
to charge, through the income tax,
much more general tuition fee for edu-
cation In American Government is q
question of which there is no attempt
to make a positive disposition at the
moment. The fact remains, however,
that there is a great deal to be said
for a broader base for Federal income
taxation" The South Bend Tribune
concludes that the Senator's striking
statement may make intelligent citizens
ponder the subject; the Port Huron
Times Herald that "it seems to be his
idea that the average citizen needs to
be given jar; the Lynchburg News
that people in the mass are not greatly
interested when taxes are paid by the
few and indirect taxes are collected
painlessly';; the Walla Walla Bulletin
that eventually there will be some
method of bringing home to every per-
son the enormous increase, and the
Louisville Courier-Journal that "Sena-
tor Bingham performs a public serv-
ice"
There is, of course" according to the
Buffalo Evening News "a just middle
ground between the theory that every
one should be taxed and the idea that
the cost of maintaining Government
can be placed upon the few very rich
alone. 1t is most important however,
for every citizen to recognize that,
whether directly assessed or not, he
bears share of the burden of taxation
and is personally interested in holding
public officials to a strict responsibility.
Otherwise, he soon would find himself
under rulers who would make his un-
realized taxation very much heavier
than any direct tax to which he could
be subject"