The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-05-26
.TracySays

MYTH the American people in a mood to re-
w peal the eighteenth amendment just as
soon as they are given an opportunity to vote,
the problem of finding 1920, 900 additional
revenue which is necessary to sustain the public
works program should present no great diff
CultieS.
Nothing is required but to divert the profits
OF bootleggers into the federal treasury and that
virtually was authorized by the election last fall.
Several states already have voted on repeal.
The verdict is too uniform and too one-sided
to leave any doubt as to the trend of public senti-
ment. The question of getting the eighteenth
amendment out of the way and giving the fed
eral government the benefit of revenue now
going to the rum racket is merely one of time.
An adequate amount of liquor is being con-
sumed to pay interest and provide a sinking
fund for S., 900, 600, 900 worth of bonds, even with
the price reduced and the quality improved.
Instead of wasting time on new forms of
taxation, the administration should exert every
ounce of pressure at its command to hasten
the vote on repeal, not only for the sake of
revenue, but for the sake Of common decency.
1T is little short of disgraceful to allow racket
l. GERS to go on collecting money which the
government needs, through useless delay in
changing a law that the people want changed
and that they would change if given the chance.
There is no reason why a sufficient number
of states to put it over should not vote on repeal
within the next six months, and there is no rea-
son to suppose that they would fail, or refuse
to do SO, if approached in the right way.
That is what the American people desire and
what the situation demands.
Here is a good place to show some Of that
speed. efficiency, and cooperation We are de-
handing from industry, to bring order out of
chaos and to readjust our economic and social
structure.
What ought to be done not only is clear, but
easily accomplished. No campaign of education
is required and no doubt exists as to the result.
Little remains but to put the machinery in
motion.
Give the government what now is going to
gangsters, and the problem of providing money
for public works is solved. incidentally, the
problem of handling that peculiar and costly
character OF crime which grows with gang rule
would be diminished greatly.
IF every sign did not indicate that the Amer
Il lean people had made up their minds to end
the noble experiment" once and for all, there
might be some excuse for delay. but such is not
the case. Sentiment has cryStallized on that
point.
Meanwhile the government must have more
revenue, even though the burden of taxation
has become dangerously oppressive.
Recovery depends on nothing so much as the
development of new lines Of endeavor, new
forms of employment, and new sources of
revenue.
We can not go on piling up the load as it
exists, asking our crippled industries and
strained business enterprises to bear more.
A sales tax, a higher income tax, or added
nuisance taxes only will handicap the work Of
rehabilitation, particularly if we permit racket
eering, gang rule, and political graft to con-