Evening star., 1932-04-11
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Overwhelmingly the paramount issue
| in America today is the rising tide of
governmental expenditure - Federal,
State, county and local-and the corre-
spondingly heavy drain on the purses
of the people. The problem Is steac1ly
attaining a gravity of which the coun-
try at large has little or no conception.
In the highest administration quarters
the country's state of mind is described
as bordering on tax rebellion. One OF
the strongest arguments against the
current drive for another $4,000 600, 600
/ bonus for World War veterans is the
knowledge which every member of Con-
gresS possesses that the back of the
American taxpayer is already bending
under such heavy burdens that 1t can
easily be broken if the load IS in
creased. Congressional mail is leaving
Representatives and Senators in no
doubt on that score. 1t is the burden
of nearly every song that comes their
way through the post office.
Looking upon it as the grimmest Job
the Nation now has to tackle, the
twentieth annual meeting of the United
States Chamber of Commerce at San
Francisco in May will be devoted al
most exclusively to the tax issue. Pro
vision has been made for discussion OF
the three aspects of the subject-Fed-
eral, State and local The meeting will
review the progress that has been made
in checking extravaganza in govern
ment2l expenditure and keeping fiscal
activities everywhere und7r continuous
scrutiny Although national attention
is almost ALWAYS concentrated on Fed
eral taxation because Of the lineh9ht
that beats upon proceedings IN Con-
| rH,tr rfN1a af1t hoy I-it 1nC
, that il is not so much the taxes Uncle
Sam collects which are burdening the
people, but the cost of government
within their own States. counties and
cities that is bleeding them white.
Tax Strikes" Common.
It was during the boom years pre-
ceding the stock market crash Of Octo-
! Der, 1929, that the American people be-
came as prodigal in government ex-
/ penditure of all kinds as they were ex-
| travagant in their personal habits. The
result was that the cost CT administer
ing the National Government and local
governm ents of all sorts rose from
SIS, 600. COO 900 a year in 1918 to more
| than $4,000, 100000 in 1881. On per
capita basis the rise was from $50 in
! 1918 to S108 in 1881 AS the piper could
only be paid out of tax revenue, taxes
have mounted all along the line until
| they have reached a point where ordi-
narily law-abiding citizens are in a
state bordering on revolt against them
Tax strikes" are nowadays common.
While The United States Chamber OF
Commerce Is moving to rivet the atten-
ton of the business world on the tax
monstrosity the Midwest commercial
leaders, under the direction OF the
Chicago Association of Commerce. is
organizing drives throughout the Union
to enforce curtailment Of Government
costs. Before the associations plans are
completed it expects to have groups
working in unison in no fewer than
1000 cities. More than 1000 Rotary
clubs have joined the crusade.
Discussion at the San Francisco
meeting of the National Chamber Of
Commerce will range generally around
the question by what means can tax
payers strikes be averted? Bv what
specific means can business agencie:
| marshal public sentiment in behalf OF
| less and wiser public Spending?" Every
| body knows that local authorities al
over the United States have beer
blowing in" the peoples money with
the recklessness of gamblers The basic
cause has been so-called local pride
which manifested itself in a wild, gen.
eral scramble among towns, cities. con-
| ties and States to keep up with the