The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-22
MILLIONS JOIN
IN VAST FIGHT
ON SALES TAX
Organized Protest Behind
Stubborn Resistance by
congressman.
BY MAX STERN
Times stan Writer

WASHINGTON, March n.-Up-
ward of 100000 Americans.
through their organizations here,
voiced opposition to the proposed
general sales tax.
Behind the stubborn resistance of
congressman from both parties to
the new revenue bill with its $780,
100000 sales tax provision is an or
gained folk movement of protest.
Not counting the 1924 Democratic
platforms reputation of the sales
tax, the earlier opposition of Treas
ury Secretary Ogden l.. Mills and
Undersecretary A. A. Ballantine
and other protests against the new
tax principle in general, here are
some Of the protests on record
against this measure:
The three great American farm
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Bureau FEEDER
alton, National Grange and Farm
ers Educational and COOPERATIVE
UniOn-au of whose representa-
tives officially protested the sales
tax at committee hearings.
. The sales tax meets the unquali-
fed disapproval of the 27,00O 900
people upon the farms Of this
country" declared Fred Brenckman
Of the grange.
Opposed by Labor Unions
The American Federation Of La
Dor, through repeated resolutions
and through broadside from Will
liam Green president, last week, the
A. F. of L.. with its 100000 mem
bers, represents some 100000 peo-
pie.
The railway labor unions, repre-
senting 100000 workers and their
families.
The Chamber of Commerce, which
through its committee on federal
taxation, recommended moderate
excuses on a number of articles of
wide use, but not of first necessity
in preference to any form of gen.
eral sales or turnover tax"
Peoples Lobby, headed by Profess
sor John Dewey, denouncing the
sales tax as governmental black
mail on hunger"
National Consumers League
through its president, DR.. John r.
Commons.
National Association OF Retail
Grocers, c. H. Jensen, secretary
manager, expressing opposition to
any form of federal sales tax"
Retailers Fight Sales Tax
National Retail Hardware Asso-
citation, Herbert Sheets, managing
director, expressing "unequivocal
opposition to any form of sales tax"
National Retail Furniture AS
ISOLATION, Roscoe Rau. managing
director, expressing opposition to
ANY form of sales tax"
National Shoe Retailers Associa-
ton, James H. Stone, manager, OPP
posing "a sales tax of any
character"
Garment Retailers of America;
American National Retailer Jewel
,lers Association; National Retail
Drygoods Association, Carlos B.
Clark, spokesman, who told the
committee that with business pros
trate "it is no time to impose upon
it useless burdens"
Special groups of manufacturers,
including California Packing Cor
poration, opposing the canned goods
tax, National Association of Ice In
dustries; National Association of Ice
Cream Manufacturers; American
Cotton Cooperative Association;
Associated Cooperate Industries of
America.
American Electric Railway As
ISOLATION, opposing electricity sales
tax on the ground that it will in
crease street car fares.
Fear Disrupted Home Life
National Electric Light Associa-
ton, William j. Hagenah, spokes-
Aman, who declares that a sales tax
on electricity "endangers develop
ment, would seriously disrupt
American home life"
Leading economists such as DIR.
Leo Wolman Of Columbia univer-
sity. oppose the sales tax
Professor E. r. A Seligman of
Columbia has said that the sales
tax Sins against the cardinal prin-
ciple of equality of taxation" DR..
William j. Schultz, financial econo-
mist for the National Industrial
conference board who says "the
supreme drawback to federal sales
tax would be its social injustice,
and Or. Joseph D. McGoldrick of
Columbia, who says a sales tax
would check consumption.
National Credit Mems Associa-
ton.
National Industrial Conference
Board, through its tax committee,
reporting in the past against the