Evening star., 1932-05-31
WALSH ON FORUM
URGES SALES TAX
Senator Denies Manufactur-
ers' Sales Levy Will
Burden Masses.

StlIS, SptdkiIlS ONeI lilc NdtlOlld1 1Sdoio
Forum last night. vigorously denied
that his manufacturers sales tax places
an undue burden upon those least able
to bear it.
The forum address, arranged by The
Star and broadcast over coast-to-
coast network Of the National Broad
casting Co., was heard locally from Sta
ton WRC.
1T has been repeatedly shown Sen
ator Walsh declared. that In families
with incomes of s2,500 or less their
food, clothing and lodging account for
more than 10 per cent Of their total
expenditures. Their other expenditures
are for car fares and lunches, recrea-
tion. insurance and savings, doctors
bills, dentists bills, papers, magazines
and incidentals, laundry. church con-
trlbutions-practically none OF which
are reached by this tax
Small Burden on Masses.
He contended that with the exemp-
tionS allowed the proposed manufac-
turers' sales tax of Its per cent I'M
poses an infinitesimal burden upon the
citizen Of limited means.
In the case of the prosperous and
wealthy" he said, the contribution
which they will make to the Federal
Government through the medium Of
TIE manufacturers excise tax Will de-
pend on the volume of their eXpendi-
lures, and I submit there is no fairer
way of measuring their capacity to pay
tax than to measure it by the VOL
ume of their purchases. plus the gradu-
ated income tax already levied on them.
In word. the manufacturers ex-
else tor sales tax, because of the ex-
emptionS which 1t carries, will not in
Ia 80 ;,y;,,
but it will tax the purchases Of the
well-to-do and the rich"
Text Of Address.
The full text of the address by Sena-
tor Walsh follows:
This day is conSecrated to the men,
ory of our dead, not only those who In
life were near and dear to us person.
ally, but more particularly, in public
way. to the departed heroes who val
1antly served our country in her days
of trial. Today millions of us have VS.
tied their last resting places and have
lovingly StreWn upon their graves the
fresh blooms with which nature during
these Spring days has adorned our hill
sides and valleys
Our thoughts have been solemn,
serious and tinged with sadness. Posi-
bly, some of us have had stirring in our
breasts today a feeling Of discourage
ment over the plight which is ours.
feeling which one Of our poets ex-
pressed when he cried out:
"I am tired of planning and toiling
In the crowded hives of men;
Heart-weary Of building and spelling,
And spelling and building again
"I am sure. however that the spirit
which thrilled and inspired the devoted
women who received the message of the
angel at the tomb of the risen Christ
on Easter morn, Why seek ye the living
among the dead? He IS not here but is
risen has entered our souls also.
Work Among Living.
I'VE are not to linger in remorse and
dependency at the tomb; our work is
among the living, to bear our life bur-
dens with resignation. to perform our
daily tasks courageously. actuated by
the high ideals that We love to associ-
ate with the memory Of our dead and
which are, in the last analysis, the most
cherished legacy they have bequeathed
to us. Faithfulness to ideals, devotion
to duty, sacrifice for exalted causes,
love of neighbor and country are the
rays Of light and hope that emerge
from the clouds and mist which sepa-
Idlc uS llOIll our uepdIl leu OIleS. NOW
comforting is this thought!
This Memorial day finds us greatly
disturbed and frightened. Men and
women who are willing to work are out
of employment. Many business men
are in bankruptcy. Many persons have
seen their life's savings disappear almost
overnight in the great fall of quoted
prices of goods and securities, and the
failure of business organizations and
banks. There is more poverty and
poignant apprehension Of poverty than
We believed was ever possible in our
hitherto bounteouS land.
Should Not Overlook Blessings.
''We grumble over what we regard as
the heavy burden of taxation. We are
worried and anxious over the ever-in
Creasing expenses Of Government. We
become excited over political differ
ences. We have admittedly deep and
grave social problems with which to
deal. We must not, we cannot minimize
these matters, but We should compare
them as far as possible with our bless
ings. If we turn back the pages Of our
history We will find our present hard
ships, unbearable as they may seem,
not nearly as disastrous as those bravely
endured by our forefathers who founded
the Nation or by those who served us
on the battleflelds. We must not lose
the sustaining comfort that our de-
parted possessed. 1t was their thought
and belief, either on the battlefields or
in the council halls of the Nation. in
the wise guidance and the protecting
power of omnipotent God which Sus
tanned them. We, too, will find comfort
and strength from the same source.
Our very troubles should make us real
ize and understand the futility of our
efforts without steadfast reliance In the
God of nations.
Let me turn now to the subject Of
my radio talk. The Congress Of the
United States Is now engaged in
graphing with a very grave problem
one fraught with serious consequences
as to the immediate future of our coun-
try. 1t Is the question of maintaining
security and confidence in the credit of
our Government. 1t Is the basic under
taking necessary to prevent a further
precipitation of the depression, and to
turn back the tidal wave of despair that
surrounds us, by establishing hope, con-
fidence and courage in the business life
of the Nation.
Assures Public.
That the tax bill now pending be-
fore the Congress will result in balanc-
ing the budget or at least in approach
ing that end, the public may well feel
assured. There is one aspect Of the
bill which is now pending before the
Senate on which 1 want particularly to
speak, and I do so only because Of my
belief that the proposal which I favor
would do more than any other which
has been under consideration to assure
a balanced budget and a confidence
that will assist tremendously in prepar-
ing the way for a business revival and
for lessening unemployment, substitute
ing hope for fear throughout the nation.
THE problem just now before the
Congress is to obtain at least two billion
dollars of additional revenue for the
Federal Treasury. We have suffered an
extraordinary decline in the revenues
derived from our existing taxes. The