Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-07-17

In
~ ~ taton and wisdom, has seen 1T
" to impose. Maybe you have all
kinds of bright ideas yourself
to how the budget might have
been balanced.
Having thoughts on taxation Is apparently
one Of the best things the American people do.
To be convinced of that just look at the piles
of letters on this subject received by the House
Ways and Means Committee and the Treasury
Department during the recent debate over rev.
enue legislation.
Once the idea got over that the Government
had to get more revenue from some source or
other in order to keep its head above water. the
letters began to flow in.
Some Of the letters were very thoughtful and
sensible. All were interesting.
Single folk wished to tax babies when they
came into the world. Married men and
women thought bachelors and old maids ought
to pay special head tax or income tax. Some
Of the spinsters agreed that bachelors should be
made to realize that it is uneconomical to live
In single blessednesS.
CPECIAL Federal taxes for hunters of wild
- game, United States taxes on dogs, cats and
pet birds were suggested Farmers thought the
city slickers should pay dearly when they went
to chose there night clubs and one or two
of them even suggested that these people who
ride around in taxis all the time could afford
wise, why can't they travel on street carS?"
Books, magazines and newspapers ought to
carry special United States tax, it was argued
by many, and the publishers who are barely
making ends meet these days groaned when
they heard the suggestion.
An ardent believer in prohibition wanted a
100 per cent tax on all bars made for private
homes (This manufacturing is on strictly
cash baSiS)
Vegetarians wanted tax on meat; the more
ecclesiastical argued for a tax divorces.
Churches were raped for non-payment OF taxes
ON their property, and some writers said they
thought all money flowing out of the country
for the support of foreign missions should be
stopped.
man who had suffered two or three wage
cuts since 1929 said that big firms would stop
and think before they put such policy into
effect, If they had to pay back to Uncle Sam
q certain percentage of the money saved to
the firm by reducing salaries A regular pay
roll tax was advocated from another source.
REPRESENTATIVE Henry T. Rainey Demo-
X GRAFT of Illinois prominent member Of the
House Ways and Means Committee, has been
studying the tax question for many, many
years.
"The science of taxation" he states. us the
science Of getting the most feathers with the
least squawking of the goose. That Is all
there is to 1t"
Taxes are as old as man. he declares and
h unpopular throughout the ages as they are
today. The tariff is nothing more or less than
tax painless Of course. You pay 1t. but
you don't feel it," The ancient Egyptians used
to impose their tariff tax at the frontier $500
years before Christ
while tariff Is probably the oldest form Of
taxation the estate tax is pretty ancient too"
he says. Egypt used this 1000 years before
Christ. It was popular In Babylon and Rome.
''Taxmakers have always liked this tax, be-
cause it's easy to collect. The man who
pays it IS dead and can't object, and his heirs
are 50 anxious to get something from his estate
that they gladly pay over some Of It to the
Government.
a. A for this sales tax. don't let anybody
n tell you that's new idea" he remarks.
sGreek cities thought Of that one at least 500
years before the birth of Christ. There was
. time when 1t was discontinued but today 1t
Is in rather general, although not universal use
again throughout the world.
"Taxmakers have thankless job Nobody
ever does anything for the convenience Of the
Federal treasury. Most everybody has the
impression that in some mysterious way money
floats down from heaven and fills up Uncle
Sans strong box.
People think they send their representa-
tives to Washington for the purpose Of prying
money out Of the treasury. not to put more
IN. Whatever you try to do so far as collecting