Evening star., 1932-11-24
LEWIS ADVOCATES
SALES TAX IN TALK
Indicates He Favors Retail
ers' Levy in Address Before
Kensington C. of c.
BY JACK ALLEN,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

KENSINGTON, Md, November "a
Representative David j. Lewis of Cum
berland, member of the House Ways
and Means Committee, declared himself
in favor of the adoption by Congress of
sales tax as a last resort to raise a
steady income for the Federal Govern
ment in an address made before the
Chamber of Commerce here last night.
Other forms of taxation are not pro-
ducing the revenue that Is required to
maintain the Government of this coun-
try, he said, and in that light a sales
tax would reach vide field and collec-
tions would approach constant source
of revenue.
Lewis did not definitely assert whether
he favored a manufacturers sales tax
or q retailers sales tax, but during the
course of his talk he indicated leaning
toward the latter form. He explained
that 81 levied at the factory would
mount to S166 by the time 1t reached
the consumer through the "pyramiding
of interest charges by the various peo-
pie who handle product" whereas
tax placed on an article at the point OF
retail distribution would not permit
such charges to be imposed.
Plan Other Meetings.
It had been announced that resolu
ton urging Congress to adopt a manu-
facturers sales tax at its next session
and at the same time embodying an ap-
peal to other civic groups of Montgom-
cry County to lend their support to the
measure was to be put through last
night, but no step was taken In that
direction.
President w. I. Cleveland announced
that several other meetings at Whlch
members of Congress will be invited to
speak on the sales tax question are
now planned before the chamber taxes
q definite stand on the issue. The next
session at which the tax will be dis
cussed probably will be the chamoers s
meeting on December 28, he said.
Representative Lewis asserted tnat
"a sales tax does not offer a complete
and absolutely steady source OF income,
but neither do income or inneTltaIlce
taxes. I am not in favor Of sales tax
in ordinary times, but in this emer-
gency. with incomes entirely inadequate
for the purpose, We need 70 tap tne
one source that Is left-the middle-claSs
income-by sales tax"
Middle Class Must Pay.
"As a practical fact" he said, "the
naiddle-class income has been virtually
exclUUt lIOnA boh0WSAA'
class must make up its mind to pay
its share of taxes and we are not doing
our duty If we urge their continued
exemption. A substantial imposition
on middle-class incomes is necessary to
maintain this country. This source
alone can be safely relied upon to pro-
duce a large income.
II do not mean that the rich shall
not paw, but the Government OF the
United states cannot be maintained by
soaking the rich"
C. d. Bohanan, recently elected a
delegate to the Montgomery County
Civic Federation, resigned from that
post last night and Joseph Brown,
Chairman of the Committee ON Schools,
was elected to fill the vacancy, with
Z. w. Sheppard being named by Presi-
dent Cleveland to take over Browns
place at the head of the school group.
TWO resolutions introduced by Secre-
tary Howard s. Bean-one appealing
to the Maryland Public Service Com
mission for a gas rate equitable with
that charged In Washington by the
same company which serves this area,
and another pledging the chambers
support in organizing an active Boy
Scout troop here-were referred to the
Committees on Public Utilities and
Schools, respectively.