Askov American., 1933-11-16

grocer, she demands that the bill be
itemized. When farm is to be fore
closed, the mortgagOr doesn't watch
the billboard in front of the town hall
to get his information. Corporation
managers are expected to make a re-
port to the stockholders.
The people who pay the bills have
some inherent rights to be considered,
and one of these rights is that they
shall be kept informed as to what is
happening to their investment. The
burden of proof always is on the man
who is spending the public money.
Must Have Light.
If this man is to hold the conf
dence of the people, he must not be
afraid to publish the record of his
own official transactions where all
the world may see.
| (c) Reliability of Information.
It, is essential that the average man
know always that the information he
reads is reliable. He must have con-
fidence in the source of this infor-
nation. That is one reason why the
statistics disseminated by taxpayers
association should be based on re-
search. When we are enjoying light
entertainment we might like to be
fooled, but not when we are in deadly
earnest. In a great broadcasting sta
tion, the effect of having a building
collapse is made by crushing straw
berry boxes, and if it is necessary to
offer listeners the thrill of hearing
tornado, the sound is produced by
small electric fan. But recently a
sound effect technician wanted his
listeners to hear caddy shoulder his
golf bag in broadcast. The tech
nician didn't know how to produce
that kind of sound. He couldn't find
anything, or manufacture anything, to
produce the right effect. But on the
day of the broadcast he worked out
the solution by bringing his bag of
golf clubs to the studio, and actually
shouldering it himself, caddy fashion.
That sound effect was real. And, my
friends. the tax information supplied
to the public should always be real
and not imaginary.
Reliable Information Necessary.
1t is unfair, and perhaps l should
say unethical, knowingly to give out
statistics that produce a false i'm
preston. If the public is to have
sustained and intelligent interest in
| taxation matters, then the source of
information must be reliable. Such
| information often is repeated over and
| over from one person to another
When the citizen takes the time to
tell his neighbor that which he has
heard, or that which he has read
about a problem in taxes, he ought to
feel that he has a guaranteed position
especially when he gets this news
from an authoritative, public organi-
zation.
In the same way, the citizen should
know that no political prejudice. has
prompted any of the disclosures
There should be impartiality and alb
solute fairness. This can be done
only by adhering to a non-political
attitude. The program of perfecting
the tax system should never be
scheme to build up or tear down any
political party. Politicians may at
times be divided on tax measures;
tax issue sometimes may become an
outstanding political issue, but, as
general thing, constructive and far
sighted taxpayers association should
not become embrOiled in strictly par-
tisan matters.
Taxes Not A Party Issue.
If there is to be a gradual improve
ment in the taxing system, the tax
payer will need the help of men of all
political creeds, and not of one party
alone. The taxpayer will be careful
not to jeopardize the good that lie
can do by narrowing down his support
to single partisan group.
You will remember how Mohammed
had trained a pigeon to fly down to
his shoulder and to eat dried peas
from his ear, thus impressing his fol-
lowers with the idea that the great
god Allah was using the pigeon as d
special messenger to whisper his ad-
monitions. If anybody gets the ear of
the public official today, it will not
be whispering pigeon representing
single political view. 1t will be the
citizen organized with other citizens
for their own protection. These citi-
zens must stand out in the open, talk
in the open, and fight in the open.
Lastly, l will say that in Minnesota,
we have adopted plan that has been
highly effective in mobilizing public
sentiment on taxation matters At
frequent intervals, district meetings
are held throughout the state. Repre-
sentatives of county taxpayers associ-
ations attend these meetings, for each
district meeting is held at some CEN
trail point where nearby county people
|