Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-09-15
INCOME TAX
IS EXPLAINED
Senator r. C. Bell, Author
of Amendment, Points
Out It's Value.
Taxes Must be More on
Basis of Ability to Pay,
He Ayers.

Very close attention was accorded
State Senator Robert c. Bell of Detroit
Lakes, in his talk of an hour and a
half at Pine City Tuesday evening,
when he dwelt on economic questions
of the day and tax matters, the prin-
cipal topic being that of the state in
come tax amendment which comes
before the voters at the November
election this year. The senator was
author of the amendment at the 1881
session of the legislature and is an
ardent supporter of this proposed
change in the tax gathering system of
the state.
The speaker was introduced by
County Attorney Nj. B. Hurley of Pine
City, who said that Mr.. Bell is stu
dent of economic questions and tax
matters and that he has been in the
public service many years. During
the Wilson administration the senator
was in the employ of the attorney
generals office at Washington and
was instrumental in gathering much
Information and statistics which led
to the unfolding of the Teapot Dome
scandal that sent Fall to the peni-
Tertiary and kept the rich oil de-
posits intact for the government. In
this, said Mr.. Hurley, he rendered
a signal service to the country. The
senator is a candidate for Congress
on the Democratic ticket.
Maine Shows the Way.
Senator Bell opened his address by
saying, LAS goes Maine, so goes the
Nation" the Democrats having just
won the election in that state.
The rank and file of the various
parties are much the same, all desir-
ing a square deal, said the senator,
the party label being the difference.
But the leadership of the Republican
party is not right.
The Red. River valley which is his
home, is as fertile as the Nile, said
the speaker, and yet folks there who
are much like folks in Pine county or
anywhere in the state and nation,
have been getting poorer and poorer
for the last ten years. Figures were
given to show the decreased income of
agriculture in the nation, the average
farm income of $91S of a few years
ago having dropped to $49S in 1890
and is now even less. Farmers have
the same desire to make good and 60
ahead now as in former years and
business is dependent on the farmer.
Clients have come to his office, said
the speaker, who is an attorney, with
tears in their eyes, telling of the
deflation, low prices and loss of farm
and home after years of effort.
Continuing, the senator said the
facts must be looked straight in the
face. 1t is not only on the farms
where there is distress. Men sleep on
the streets in the cities and there are
hundreds of soup lines, with 11,O00,-
600 people usually gainfully employed
now out of work. And all this power
ty and distress in the midst of plenty
no shortage of food. There was
never a time in the history of the
United States when farm products
fOod-was relatively so low in price.
The fault lies principally with the
government and certainly folks can
not be satisfied with the way things
have been going on in the last decade.
Government can cause a business to
prosper or break.
Must Lower Tariff.
There has been too much special
privilege legislation, said the speaker.
example and the big manufacturers
and other corporations have had the
benefit of unjust dividends on watered
stock. Many of those folks can pay
for the finest luxuries in life. Some
business has been built on the
strength of the tariff and therefore
the tariff must be lowered by degrees.
Industry is milking agriculture. The
rates fixed by government commits
siOns for services by railroads, power
and light companies, and other public
utility concerns is gradually sappine
out the wealth of the masses.
The international bankers have also
aided the depression by their methods
of buying, for instance, a million dol
lar corporation and initiating by sell
ing stock for much more. They even
went to foreign countries, made loans
and sold bonds, some of which was
doubtful security. A billion dollars
has been gathered up by them in the
past few years just in commission
The government of the United States
should have stepped in and stopped
this practice instead of aiding and
abetting. The stock market crash
came in October of 1929 but the de-
preston has lasted ten years for the
farmer. Capitalization of wealth has
gone too far when in 1929 there were
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