Evening star., 1932-03-16
Sales Tax Is Storm Center
In Revenue Measure Debate

raise a sum comparable to the $685.
000, 900 expected to reach the Treasurys
Golfers by way of the tax"
Stating that mo increase OF the In
come tax In itself would have been COM
petent to square the budget" the Phila-
delphia Evening Bulletin holds that
''the Ways and Means Committee in the
sales tax has plotted a field OF great
productive capacity, which will involve
a minimum Of burden upon any indi-
vidual in the land" The San Antonio
bill Is mainly sound in principle" and
that "it undertakes to distribute the
burden of Federal Government costs
more equitably and among more citizens
than before"
IAN un-Democratic tax BILL" is the
verdict of the st. Louis Post-Dispatch,
which in the course Of its expression Of
disapproval says: Common decency
will be revolted by the spectacle of
tax bill that hits the poor man With
sales tax and higher income taxes, while
letting the rich man of with a mild
increase represented by top surtax Of
only 40 per cent" The Philadelphia
Record advises the Democrats in Con-
gress that they are making a grave
mistake" and adds that the sales tax
will increase the cost of living, retard
buying and save the wealthy at the ex-
pense Of the consumer and the business
man."
Observing that "a summary Of the
new bill nils about three newspaper
pages" the New York Sun declares:
But where are the three newspaper
pages Of retrenchment In the Federal
expenses? AS invisible as last years
moonlight. No long lists OF bureaus
condemned as useless and costly. No
roster OF Farm Board experts dropped
from the pay roll. No announcement
that the Government will discontinue
the spending Of thousands Of dollars in
or preparing pamphlets on agricultural
conditions in lands 5000 miles from the
nearest American farmer"
Assuming that the sales tax will be
paid eventually by the consumer, no
matter what 1t is labeled" the Roanoke
World-News offers the criticism: I'm
portance Of balancing the budget and
preventing an increase in the public
debt has been cited by leaders of both
parties and especially by Secretary Mills
as necessary to economic recovery of
the country. With this view there Is
every reason to agree, but the people
would be more inclined to a limited tax
increase to meet the situation if the
Government departments would show a
greater disposition to reduce expense
or If Congress would exhibit determi-
nation to force such reduction upon
them"
The bill may be the best Congress
can put together" says the Milwaukee
Journal, but it is very bad bill, none
the less. ANY sales tax on general nee
essar1es OF life is bad because it bears
down almost equally on those who have
and those who have not. A manufac-
turers' sales tax is bad for the very rea-
son that leads to its adoption; that is,
1t Is more concealed. Acting Chairman
Crisp Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee Is quite frank about this. 1t m
preferable to the excise taxes which
raised such storm Of protest. Prefer
able. that is. because the tax viii not
be so clearly seen. The sales
tax may not be much noticed at first.
But the total Of Federal budgets will be
noticed. The movement that started In
Minnesota to show county supervisors
how budgets can be reduced will spread
to State legislators and to Congress-
men and Senators who IN times when
men and women need bread still can
not cut their budget"